


The Most Beautiful Name

by Rayvah



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-16
Updated: 2012-09-05
Packaged: 2017-11-10 01:42:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 38,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/460838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rayvah/pseuds/Rayvah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Rumplestiltskin arranged it so that Belle had the power to save the inhabitants of Fairy Tale Land, instead of Emma, what would she owe him in return? AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Belle didn't mind cleaning Ru's furniture. His dishes. His clothes. It got awfully lonely in the dark castle when he was gone, and knowing that what she was doing was for him made it a little less so. There was nothing she could do to leave the grounds of her own accord... the magic held her, and only he could grant her leave. Even so, she was shooed off to some corner of the castle whenever he was expecting visitors. Whether to keep them from seeing her, or vice versa, she don't know. The result was the same. Belle hadn't seen another person besides Ru for many months. Which is why, while cleaning just outside the main entrance room, she was so surprised to hear the doors suddenly crash open.

"She stole the curse from me! I couldn't stop her... and I'm positive she actually means to use it."

Belle froze, hands stilled on the vase she was polishing. A woman's voice. She paused with breath held, awaiting the response. She knew her master was already in the room just beyond these doors, and was fairly certain she wasn't supposed to be overhearing this.

"I know."

She paused. Not sure if she should stay and listen, or turn back. After a moment she made the decision to stay. Leaning closer against the door, she took in the conversation that proceeded.

She chose to stay.

It was a choice that would change everyone's fate.

* * *

"I warned her about enacting that curse. I don't know why or how you even made it. Nasty piece of work." The woman let out a huff of breath.

A pause. "And what, exactly, do you expect me to do, dearie?" He asked in a bored tone.

The woman sputtered. "If she casts that spell successfully, it's going to be the end of all of us! Even you."

"Is that so?" Amusement.

"Tell me how to stop her."

"Tsk... you forgot the magic word."

"...Please."

A longer pause. "Very well. I will tell you how to stop the Queen... but you know I never give anything away for free."

"...I know."

Giggles. "Then hear me! The price of me telling you how to stop the Queen... is that you agree not to act upon what I tell you."

"WHAT? What is the point of that! I came here to find out how to stop her so that I could do it. I'm warning you, Rumpelstiltskin... if you're playing some kind of game..."

"No games, dearie. Just the usual deals. Now, you have a choice. You can either walk out of here empty handed after coming All. This. Way. Or... you can walk out of here with two things... the knowledge you seek, and a keener feeling of ineffectualness than you came in with."

"This is ridiculous."

"Do we have a deal?"

"Ask for something else."

"The door is right there, dearie. Feel free to show yourself out."

The silence stretched on. Belle could almost feel the woman's glare. Finally, she bit out "Fine. Tell me. I promise not to act on what you say."

He replied, a smile in his voice. "You know the magic will hold you to your word. But don't worry, you won't have to hold this secret back for very long." The woman snarled at him. He only giggled in response.

"To stop the Queen, you need to break the curse before it spreads in the same way it will be cast: with the sacrifice of the life of someone important to you."

"Stopping dark magic with dark magic? I know a thing or two about spells and that often tends to backfire."

He made a noncommittal noise. "Oh well I suppose you must be right. I only made the spell, but I'm sure you know much better."

Another huff. "Speak, then. Tell me everything about stopping the spell. I might not be able to do anything... but we made a deal."

"Indeed!" a chuckle "The Queen will sacrifice the heart of her father..."

A gasp. "No..."

"...she will take the heart to the center of the forest near her castle. Where the crossroads of old magic lay. Her servants will all offer a piece of themselves up to her to burn. You would need both of these things to nullify the spell. They must be thrown into the beginnings of the curse just as it is born."

"And this will stop it?"

"More or less."

The woman sighed deeply. "You should let me try."

The imp giggled again. "Indeed. Why, you could rescue all of your family and friends from the clutches of the curse. Oh, wait, you've quite managed to free yourself from those sort of obligations during your years of witch hood, have you not?"

"...she was my only friend. Even now. I would have still tried to save  _her_."

"Ah. Too bad, isn't it? Off you go then. Say hello to your pet for me."

Hesitation. Then, the footsteps of the witch began to shuffle towards the door.

"I don't know what purpose letting this happen serves for you, Rumpelstiltskin. But I hope you're happy with your choice." The door swung shut gently as she exited.

* * *

Belle knew her imp might be leaving the main room soon, so she drew back and quietly made her way away; so many new questions burning in her mind.

What curse was the witch talking about? Who was she? And who was this Queen? From what she was saying, it seemed like the curse would destroy everyone in the lands...

And Ru wanted this to happen?

"No." Belle spoke out loud to no one in particular. She couldn't hold it in.

She knew she wasn't supposed to have been eavesdropping, but decided that she had to ask him about it anyways. Ru might not answer her, but she had to try.

But the next night, however, he disappeared.

* * *

Days went by with no word from him. It was highly irregular. He would usually tell her when he was leaving, and for how long. Belle finally allowed herself to think that something might really be wrong. Ru never seemed to be afraid of anything. Nothing concerning the trips he took and the deals he made, in any case. He always kept his main workshop locked, but she wondered if maybe there was something in there that might help her contact him.

She took the hallway to the west wing of his castle, and up the stairs toward a large door with an ornate lion handle. It was a door she had tried before while cleaning. When asked about it, he said it was his spell room and that she should stay out for her own good. Belle was afraid it would be just as locked now. And equally afraid it wouldn't be. The door clicked open easily. Too easily. As if it were letting her in. As if the magic protecting it had failed.

She pushed the door open wide, revealing a staircase to the light of the candle she carried. It led up to a platform that was the center of a large, circular room. A window at the far end of the room overlooked the road and some of the gardens. She used to notice him watching her from it when she would tend the roses in them. Roses he made her. Happy memories. He would always pretend he was either watching to make sure she wasn't trying to escape, or that he was merely taking in the sight of the clouds. Both lies. But she loved him for it.

She went quickly to work searching his desk. His shelves. Most of the writings were in a language she couldn't read. Some words swirled on the page, not seeming to be in any language at all. She was worried her search would be pointless, until she saw something glimmer out of the corner of her eye. Perched on the edge of a table hidden in the shadow was a small hand mirror. Bright silver. It seemed to spark with energy. Not visibly, but she could feel it course through her when she laid her hand to it. It was so strange; Ru covered all the mirrors in the castle. And here, in his most private room, was one that looked like it was there to be used.

Taking for granted that objects had no sentience was a luxury Belle had lost within the first two weeks of working in the dark castle. She didn't know what this mirror could do, but thought that it never hurt to ask.

"Please... show me your power."

The mirror swirled. Appeared misty, like looking through a dream. The scene she saw play out before her had to be a memory. It was Rumpelstiltskin. In this very room, holding the object she now held. He spoke to it.

_~"Show me the girl."~_

She watched as a vision of herself swirled in the image of the mirror he held. It must have been on her first night here. It showed her in her dungeon room, crying. She remembered clearly those first few nights.

Belle blushed deeply. He had been using this mirror to watch her? She wondered how often he would have done so, and what he might have caught her doing.

The Rumpelstiltskin image watched for a few moments, then placed the mirror face down on the table, as he walked away.

Belle shook her head. She could contemplate this latest development later... for now, she knew how the mirror worked and how to use it. She held it up in front of her once again.

"Show me Rumpelstiltskin."

This time the image the glass displayed was clear. As though she were looking through a window instead of seeing a vision. A dark dungeon, with torches lining the walls. One cage lined with bars like teeth took up the far side of the room at the end of a long hallway. In the corner was a figure with a familiar green cast to his skin. He looked up.

"Ru..." Her voice was a whisper. How had this happened?

"Mirror, show me how he was trapped."

The glass again took on a misty quality. The difference between the past and the present.A difference scene played out before her this time. Ru was talking to another girl about a deal for her child. She wanted to sell him another, and to sign a contract. He took a red plumbed quill, signed the paper he had taken from her, and was frozen; though he didn't seem to be particularly worried or surprised about the fact. He knew what was going to happen.

_Why didn't he tell me?_

"Show me Rumpelstiltskin."

The mirror shimmered again and showed her the room Rumpelstiltskin was trapped in. He was clutching the bars, face pressed to them. He called her name.

_~"Belle?"~_

Belle let out a gasp. He could sense her.

_~"Belle. I can feel you watching."~_  His voice softened.  _~"Whatever you do Belle. Don't come here."~_  He paused, a struggle evident on his features.  _"~Go home, Belle. Take the carpet, and go visit your family one last time. None of us have much longer to live in this world..."~_ The echo of footsteps came through the mirror. An inner turmoil seemed to pass over the goblin-like man's features.

_~"I free you, Belle. Go home."~_  He snapped his fingers and the image in the mirror went dark and she felt the power die. It startled her so much she nearly dropped it.

"Show me Rumpelstiltskin."

Nothing.

"Show me Rumpelstiltskin, damn you!"

Nothing.

She sank to the floor, the coldness of the stones biting into her skin, but she hardly noticed. Ru was trapped. And he didn't want her to come there. He'd set her free.

It all seemed so sudden. Belle didn't know what to think at first.

He wanted her to leave. To go home. He'd said none of them had long to live. She sat there for a few minutes...or hours, lost track of time. Lost in thoughts of the possibility of going home and what prompted him to give her the opportunity. Then her mind went back to that conversation she'd heard between him and the witch days ago.

_"If she casts that spell successfully, it's going to be the end of all of us! Even you."_

She slowly got up off the floor, clutching the dead mirror, and made her way down the stairs. Two flights below the main floor were the storage rooms. Boxed and kept away from the sunlight were countless treasures from many lands. They would put any king's paltry collection to shame. She would know, she'd seen a king's treasure too. She found what she was looking for, wrapped up tightly in the corner, and carried it back up the stairs into the center garden, which was glowing faintly under the starlight.

She unrolled the item onto the grass, and whispered to it.

"Carpet."

The carpet came to life in front of her, stretching itself out as if waking up from a long sleep. It looked up at her attentively.

_No one decides my fate but me. I don't have to stay here, but I'm not going to go home._

"Take me to the Queen's castle."

* * *

Fortunately, Carpet seemed to know the way. They flew for what seemed like days, but she knew it to be only one going by the sun. Belle wanted to hurry, but had to stop several times. She was hungry, and it was so cold, flying on the carpet, even with a cape.

She had no idea what the Queen's lands looked like, but once they started getting close she could sense it. A darkness seemed to cover the ground. It was like the land was holding it's breath.

"Carpet... I need to go to the center of the Queen's woods, where the old magic is. But... we shouldn't be seen. Can we fly lower?"

Carpet never could speak, but it veered off to the right, descended and she could only assume it knew where it was going. Belle's biggest problem was what to do if she found the place the witch had spoken about?

Ru had told the woman that the only way to nullify the curse was by using the same...ingredients...this Queen was using to cast it. A life. And the offering of a servant. A life she had - a life she'd already given up once to save her family and friends. Now, she would just do it again for them, plus another. The servant part... she was a servant. But she was already playing a role in this ceremony. She glanced down at Carpet as they swooped down for a landing in a small clearing deep in the woods. Maybe he counted as a servant of sorts.

She climbed down onto the ground, rubbing the cold from her limbs. It felt urgent that she find the place where this curse was going to happen, even though she had no indication of when the Queen might be activating it. She knelt down in front of the little rug that had flown all day and night.

"Carpet... I need something from you." It lifted it's 'face' in an inquiring manner.

"I'm going into the forest to try to stop something... really bad from happening. If you could give me... a thread from your weave, it might help me do this." She wasn't sure what a thread was to a magic carpet. Was it like a hair? Or a finger? Belle wasn't sure what she was asking for, but hoped it wasn't too much.

The carpet didn't hesitate however, as it plucked a string from itself with one of the tassels that it used as hands, and lifted it up to her. She sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Carpet." There were tears in her eyes. From relief, fear, or gratitude she didn't know, but she embraced the little rug tightly. It was the last thing she was going to be able to say goodbye to.

She stood, wiping her eyes. "I have to go now. Goodbye." She began to walk towards the direction they were flying earlier. She looked back towards the carpet, only to see it hovering at her heels.

"No, Carpet. You have to go back to the castle." It shook its head.

"Carpet, this could be dangerous. I... I know what I'm doing." She really hoped she did. "But I don't want you to get hurt just by being too near" It crossed it's 'arms', looking quite as stubborn as any human or beast Belle had ever met.

She stared down at it for a few moments. It's a flying carpet... maybe it could just fly away if any danger presented itself. She didn't really want to go deep into the woods alone. She hoped she wasn't making a mistake.

"Alright, come along if you must." The carpet wiggled in excitement, flying itself in a tight loop around her before settling back at her feet. She couldn't stop a slight giggle, and suddenly the task in front of her didn't seem quite as frightening as a moment ago.

She walked for hours, the thick underbrush making progress slow, with Carpet leading the way. She was glad it'd stayed. It would probably be far too easy to get turned around in this forest with her abysmal sense of direction.

Almost without warning the obstacles cleared. The tree became more spaced out. They were barely trees. No leaves. Just twisted, dead trunks spotting the landscape. She spied a copse of them not far away. Carpet was already going in that direction, and Belle followed. As they got closer, she slowed their approach. She didn't know what was up ahead. She couldn't hear anything, and it was daylight at the moment. If anyone was over there, moving around... they would probably be able to see them. Probably.

The tree ghosts were surrounding a circle of large rocks, with a fire pit in the center, the cold remains of ash filling it.

She wasn't really sure what to do next. If the curse had already been cast, certainly there would have been some sign of it. However, besides just being extremely disturbed by the general landscape, Belle didn't feel any different.

"Looks like all we can do is hide and wait."

She looked among the stones and found one that overlapped to form a shallow cave. It gave her a good view of the circle, and would provide a hiding spot from anyone walking up. She got down on my hands and knees and crawled inside. Carpet floated in after and wrapped itself around her . It was cold, and getting colder. She intended to keep watch. But the days of worry and travel and walking had finally caught up at last.

She fell asleep.

* * *

She awoke to something shaking her. She was confused. It was dark, and at first she didn't know where she was. Then she felt panicked.

_I fell asleep. I didn't keep watch!The Queen could have come and gone already!_

Slowly, she realized that it was Carpet shaking her awake, though. And as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see the faint glow of flame filtering into the cave. She looked over at Carpet, who was miming with its 'hand' to be quiet.

Belle stretched her arms to work some of the stiffness out, then pulled herself forward as quietly as possible through the gap in the rock, until the woman standing by the fire came into view. No one else was with her. Good. The woman's back was to Belle. She thought she could get out of the cave and stay hidden without her noticing.

This had to be the moment. Belle had to be in a position to act fast. She tried not to think about what she had to do.

Belle leaned down and whispered very softly into the plush edge of the carpet.

"Distract her. Right after she casts the spell."

The thought occurred to her in that moment that maybe she could stop the witch before she even raised the curse. But she was a dark and powerful witch, and she was... well, just Belle. She didn't even have a weapon. Just a heart that wanted to save those she loved.

The woman's dark silhouette reached into her cape and pulled out something small and pink.

A heart.

She threw it into the fire that was burning. A dark smoke began to rise from the flame, completely blocking them from view. She had to act now.

The sound of rocks falling just outside the circle made the Queen turn sharply to her left, away from the girl hidden by the rocks.

"Who is there!" She stepped away from the fire.

Belle stepped away from the shelter of the rock, clutching the thread from Carpet to her chest.

Do the brave thing and bravery would follow. Guess she wouldn't have the chance to test the second part of that statement. She was going to die here. Tonight.

It was worth it.

Please...let my friends and family be safe. Give everyone their happy endings back. Especially...

Thoughts of Ru flooded her mind as she stepped forward into the dark cloud that was consuming the small clearing they were in. She turned back towards the woman, who was now facing Belle, a horrified look on her face.

"NO!" the witch reached towards her.

It was the last thing Belle saw.


	2. Chapter 2

_This is like the happiest place on earth. It makes me want to vomit._

Anna was in the kitchen of her apartment, baking bread. Which was actually pretty therapeutic. Baking required more muscle work than most people would appreciate, and pounding her fists into the moist dough on the counter was really helping to relieve some tension.

 _This is for my stupid dad._  Punch.

 _This is for the stupid school application office._ Punch.

 _My stupid boss._  Punch punch.

She paused. The last wasn't really fair. Mr. Gold hadn't really done anything except tell her he could only give her part time hours at his shop. It wasn't his fault that there wasn't anyone else in town hiring. There were a limited amount of jobs to go around, and no one ever left Storybrooke. If you ever asked any of them why, they'd simply reply, "Why would you want to?"

She could sure use the paycheck, though. Punch.

Anna scooped up the bulk of the dough and placed it in a bowl, tossing a towel over it and putting it into the oven. It would rise in there and maybe be ready to bake when she got back from her lunch with her dad. She wasn't looking forward to it. He kept bugging her to go on a date with this business partner of his named Gaston. Kept hinting that if they managed to hit it off, it would be really good for the future of the family company. Like she owed him something. He'd kicked her out at the age of 18 after she'd graduated and didn't get accepted into any of the colleges she'd applied for. Said that if she didn't go to school she had to at least earn a living.

The tension between her and her father wouldn't have been quite so frustrating if it didn't seem like she was the only person in the whole town that seemed to suffer setbacks when it came to life plans. Everyone in town thought of Storybrooke as the place that dreams came true. People here found their true loves. Their dream jobs. Everything always worked out for the best. For everyone except Anna.

As a result, she didn't have anyone she could be completely open with . It was hard to have close friends to share your hardships with when nobody but her seemed to have any hardships. Watching the evening news here was like seeing a horror movie. It seemed unfathomable that those kinds of things went on in the real world. But it was one of the reasons Anna wanted to leave Storybrooke. Other places seemed more... believable to her.

She got her keys and headed out towards her car. It was an old 1985 Volvo. Not pretty, but it still ran strong, and was really all she could afford on her salary. It ate gas like nobody's business, but luckily nothing was far from anything else in this town.

Anna parked in front of Granny's diner and went inside, scanning the tables for her dad.

"Annabelle!"

She noticed him waving her down from the corner and went over.

"Hello, dad." She sat down.

"Hi, sweetheart. How's your day going? How's work?" He flipped the menu open, scanning the selections. Like they ever changed.

"Just great." It was a response she'd learned was the best one over the years.

"That's really great. So - have you had a chance to give that nice Gaston fellow a call?"

Anna groaned inwardly. She knew he was going to bring this up. "Not yet." She avoided his eyes, and scanned her own menu.

"C'mon, Belle, I think he's a good guy. He's got a good business head on his shoulders... he's financially secure. He could take care of you." Her dad was the only one to call her Belle these days. It was a throwback to her childhood, but the nickname always unsettled her. Everyone else just knew her as Anna.

She stared at him sharply. "I thought you wanted me to take care of myself. I thought that's why you kicked me out as soon as I graduated."

The older man sighed. "Not this argument again, Belle. I only want what's best for you."

"And I suppose it wouldn't hurt if Gaston-with-the-great-business-sense decided to sign on with your company? Don't you think you can get him to do that without me dating him?"

He was silent. "He's been mentioning taking on an internship at a company in Augusta..."

"I knew it."

"...now hear me out, Belle."

"Stop calling me that."

Mr. French looked wounded for a moment. He didn't understand why his daughter was being so difficult. Anna closed her eyes and tried to compose herself.

_Just get through this lunch. Change the subject._

"I'm sorry, Dad. Can we just talk about something else for awhile?"

"Alright."

The rest of the time passed with somewhat uncomfortable conversation. She finally pretended that she had forgotten she had to go to work, and had to finish lunch early. Lie or not, Mr. French looked as relieved as she was to end the meal. She even drove off towards Mr. Gold's shop instead of her home to complete the illusion.

She was going to turn around and drive back home after a few minutes, but then reconsidered. She didn't really feel like going home yet. She might not have to work, but she could still stop by. As a customer. Not that she could afford much of anything Mr. Gold had for sale, but she loved to look at the merchandise anyways. Most of the items in his shop had an... otherworldly feel to them. Like they were all very important to someone, somewhere.

She parked in the empty lot in front of the store and went inside, the bell jingling slightly.

"Don't get up, it's just me." She called out. She always felt a little badly when she would come in and shortly thereafter see him limping up to the counter, having dragged himself away from whatever task at hand he was performing to greet a customer. So she'd made a habit of announcing herself whenever the store was empty.

The assumption was a bit premature this time, however, because Regina Mills strode out of the back room, followed by Mr. Gold.

Anna gasped. "Oh... I'm sorry, Ms. Mills. I didn't see a car out front. I didn't think anyone else was here."

The woman smiled. "That's alright, Anna. Mr. Gold and I just had some... business to discuss."

To her surprise, Anna felt a sinking feeling in her gut at Regina's words and flinched. Then froze. She hoped neither of the two had noticed that. She smiled widely at the tall woman.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm actually not even working today, I was just stopping by. I can...come back later." She finished lamely.

"No need. I was just leaving."

Anna let her eyes stray past Regina to the shorter man standing a few feet back from her. He was watching her intently, missing nothing about the interaction. She quickly shifted her gaze back to the woman.

"So you, uh, walked?"

"Biked, actually. It's out back." A pause, waiting for some kind of response from Anna, who had initiated the conversation. She couldn't think of one to give. "Well... I've got to be going now. Have a good day Anna. Mr. Gold." Regina swept past her and walked out of the shop, the bell jangling again.

Anna had turned to watch her go, and was reluctant to turn back, knowing he would still be standing there, probably watching. That man was so observant of people, it was scary.

She reluctantly turned to face her boss, only to find that he was mere inches away from her, instead of across the room, as she'd supposed. Anna stifled a gasp.

_How on earth can he be so quiet when he needs a cane to just get around!_

"Delightful to see you, Anna. Is there anything I can do for you today?" He smiled.

"No." She took a deep breath. "I just felt like coming by and looking around. Maybe looking at the books a little more closely." She shifted her gaze. "I can't really go through them as much as I'd like while on the clock. You don't mind, do you?"

Another smile. "Of course not". His eyes flicked downward, then back up to her face. "Take your time. I'll just be in the back. Let me know if you need anything." He turned to go.

"So, what did Ms. Mills want?" Anna inwardly cursed herself for asking, but she was honestly curious.

"Well, it's something that needs to be kept quiet, but the truth is she recently became engaged to Sydney Glass. She was looking for a gift for him. Something special." His answer relaxed the knot of tension that had appeared in her gut, and Mr. Gold grinned, as if he knew her thoughts.

"I see. Well, that's wonderful. Will she be announcing it soon?"

"Next week in the paper, I believe. I'm sure Mr. Glass will be doing his best to ensure it's the front page story."

Anna nodded. So little of sensation happened in this town, that she had no doubt Sydney would get his wish. She glanced back towards the worktable in the corner.

"Still restoring that first edition Dostoyevsky?"

He nodded "Slow work. A very precious treasure. Wouldn't want to ruin it by moving too quickly. Wouldn't you agree?"

She nodded again absently, thinking of nothing else to say. She had been rather tongue tied this whole visit. He turned and made his way to the table occupied by the antique volume. Anna went towards the bookshelves, taking in a deep breath and settling her nerves. She let her eyes scan the titles on the shelf, without really seeing them.

She didn't know why seeing Regina here had unsettled her. Especially the thought of her being here specifically to see Mr. Gold. She had thought the older woman was dating the newspaper's editor-in-chief. That thought was more than confirmed, now. If Mr. Gold were to date, Anna was sure it would be someone similar to Regina. Elegant. Learned. They would have made a good match.

However, she couldn't picture Mr. Gold as anything more than just hers... her boss.

Anna shook her head again. Definitely time to focus on something else. She selected a slim leather-bound volume of Japanese folktales, and began to read.

* * *

No one came into the shop for awhile, and Anna was left to peruse the books on the shelf in peace. She had gone to her favorite spot to sit in the store; a small ornate rug with yellow tassels that looked Persian. She'd seen nicer rugs in her day, but something about this one just struck a chord with her. She'd have bought it from Mr. Gold long ago if she could have afforded to. However, she was glad he let her sit on it – and, well... if when she organized things the best place for it turned out to be tucked in a corner behind the shelves that's just how things were in a shop this small with so many items.

She was so engrossed in her story that it didn't even register for a moment when the bell rang. She wasn't working anyway, right? She wasn't even going to acknowledge the newcomer until a deep voice sounded at her from above.

"Belle! Sitting down on the job, are we?" Anna looked up into the face of Gaston, her father's business partner.

"Oh. H-Hello, Gaston. What... are you doing here?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Your father told me you were working tonight. Thought I would stop by and see you."

Anna flinched inwardly. It was fortunate she'd decided to head over to the shop anyways, or she would have been caught in the lie she'd spouted to get away from her father.

"I'm just... taking a break." She glanced back at the table where Mr. Gold was working on the book. He glanced up at her, then away, continuing with what he was doing. Looks like he was leaving her to deal with her would-be suitor. That was fine. Gaston held out a hand to her, but she ignored it, hauling herself to her feet and brushing herself off.

Gaston pulled back his hand and sighed. "Belle, do you mind if we talk outside?"

"Don't call me that." She bristled.

Gaston frowned. "Your dad calls you that when he talks about you, and I'm around him so much..."

"Everyone else calls me Anna."

He pursed his lips. "Alright. Anna. Talk outside?" He seemed to have lost the edge of his charming demeanor. He switched his gaze to Mr. Gold at the table. "What do you say, Gold. Can you spare her for a few minutes?"

Mr. Gold glanced up and she flinched at his cold expression. "I believe she said she was on her break. If she wants to go outside with you, she's free to do so. Does it appear as though I own her?" his eyes flicked over to her, then back down to his work. Anna shivered.

Gaston narrowed his eyes at the man who was no longer even paying attention. He took her hand and began to pull her toward the door. "This will only take a minute...Anna."

"Okay." she agreed hesitantly. She chewed on her bottom lip as she allowed herself to be led outside. She didn't really want to talk alone with Gaston, but it seemed inevitable that she would have to.

She squinted at the brightness that greeted her as she walked out the door. Gaston led her a little further away from the storefront, out of view of the windows. He turned to face her.

"Now, Bel... Anna." He smiled widely. "Anna. How would you like to go out to dinner with me?" He sounded like he was offering her a brand new car. She just blinked up at him.

"Why?"

He sputtered for a moment. "Well why not? We're both young, single people. I'm a good family friend."

"A business partner."

"And Mr. French thinks that we would get along well." He frowned. "I value the opinion of your father. As his daughter, you should too."

Anna gaped up at him. Did he just seriously say that?

"My relationship with my father is none of your business!"

"Please, Belle."

"Anna!"

"Please... just give me a chance. Your father is worried about you."

"Worried about me? Why?" She looked at him skeptically.

"You... you don't go out like normal girls. You haven't seriously dated anyone. Ever. It's not healthy."

"What... you...what..." Anna was so angry she couldn't even form a complete thought.

Oblivious to her anger, Gaston pulled her closer, grasping both her hands in his and laying a kiss on them. "Listen... Anna. Just give me a chance."

Anna snatched her hands out of his grasp, placing them at her sides. She glared at him. "I'm not interested, Gaston." The facade of charm completely fell away from him, now. Gaston was not a man used to being turned down.

"There is something wrong with you... Anna. Everyone in this town is happy. Fulfilled. Except you."

Anna gasped. She was beyond upset at this jerk, but his words hit that place deep in her soul that had been gnawing at her for as long as she could remember.

He stepped forward and Anna retreated. "You try to cover it up by not talking about yourself. But everyone can tell. You're in the happiest town in the world and still you're miserable."

"Shut up!"

"And I'm trying to give you a chance to change things and you won't even try."

"JUST SHUT UP AND GO AWAY!" She screamed at him, her hands at her eyes trying to hold back the tears that were spilling out against her will.

She heard the door of the shop open behind her, and the quick rap of a cane against the ground as her boss limped towards them.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" When Anna looked up, Mr. Gold was standing between her and Gaston, glaring up at him.

The taller man stepped back, and composed his features. "Nothing that concerns you. We were having a discussion and Anna just overreacted to some things we were talking about."

"Oh really? Well that's fascinating that you don't think that you coming onto my property and harassing my employee counts as my business. I wonder if the Sheriff shares your philosophy on life." His eyes burned, starring at the man in front of him.

Gaston's eyes flicked from side to side, suddenly unsure. "I am not trying to cause any trouble. This is just a misunderstanding."

"I suggest you leave. And don't make the mistake of finding your way here again."

Gaston glared at Mr. Gold, but turned around and got in his car without another word, speeding out of the lot.

Anna was still trying to get her crying under control. It was embarrassing to have been so caught off guard by simple words. The figure of Mr. Gold suddenly filled her vision as he stood in front of her. He lifted a hand to her hair and turned her face up towards his.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded silently.

"What did he say to you?"

"N-nothing. It's fine. It's nothing." She sniffed. "I'm going to go." She turned away, towards her car.

"Anna..."

"What?"

"You can't leave."

She turned back towards him, wondering at his choice of words.

He stepped towards her. "...not in this condition. You should come back inside."

Anna felt hesitant. All she wanted to do right now was to get out of this place. This town. But for some reason when the man who was, for now, serving as her protector put his hand to her arm to lead her inside, she let him.


	3. Chapter 3

Anna followed Mr. Gold back into his shop, sitting down heavily in a chair as she watched him lock the door and turn the sign to "Closed". He then proceeded to shut the blinds. Completing all of this took a few minutes and she took the opportunity to try and calm herself.

"Anna..."

She looked up at Mr. Gold, who stood a few feet in front of her, for lack of another nearby chair. He leaned forward, both hands on his cane. "Anna, what did he say that upset you so much?"

She shook her head. "It was nothing really... just something that hit a personal sore spot. It's really none of your concern." She looked away.

"Yes, so people keep telling me."

Anna let her eyes dance around the room, looking anywhere but to his face. He was still just standing there, watching her, waiting for an answer.

"Here... you should be the one sitting." She began to stand.

"No." She froze, halfway out of the chair.

"I want you to stay there. Until you tell me what is going on."

Anna squeezed her eyes shut and ran her fingers through her hair. "Fine. You're being a pushy jerk, just so you know." He smiled thinly.

"He just said that I was an unhappy person. That I was the only unhappy person in a town where no one else was, and that no matter how hard I tried to hide it, I couldn't." She felt the tears welling back up. "He said something must be wrong with me."

A noise caught her attention and she wiped away the tears to look back up at Mr. Gold. A dark expression had come over his features. He looked furious. When he saw that she was staring at him he turned away from her, and began pacing.

"He's not wrong. I just... thought I was better at hiding it." She sighed deeply, looking down. "It's not my fault, though. Everyone here is happy because everything always goes well for them. I just seem to be the only one for... whom it doesn't." She looked up again, her eyes following the pacing figure of Mr. Gold. "I think I just don't belong here." He stopped pacing, still not meeting her gaze.

"Everyone knows that Storybrooke is different from the rest of the world. If I left, I might be able to find a place and people I could... fit in with with. But I couldn't get into school, for reasons I can't even contemplate, and - no offense to you – working here, I can't save up enough money to rub two dimes together." Anna could feel the anger of her situation and Gaston's actions starting to burn through the haze of her earlier desolation. He might have been cruel about the things he said, but him saying them made her realize something. This incident was going to help her make a decision she should have made long ago.

"I"m going to leave town."

Mr. Gold turned around to stare at her hard. "You can't."

Anna was surprised. Her boss had never struck her as a man who was the type to form attachments to persons.

"Why not?"

He took a few steps toward her, leaning forward. "Because nobody can."

She furrowed her brow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Think about it, Miss French... have you ever heard of anyone leaving Storybrooke?"

"People leave all the time."

"Permanently?" He raised a brow.

She frowned, thinking. No one had ever left Storybrooke permanently, no. Why would they want to?

"Storybrooke is the happiest place on Earth." She almost managed to keep all the sarcasm out of her voice.

"Indeed. That's the way things turned out. Not what they were meant to be from the start."

"Excuse me?"

He leaned forward further, placing a hand on both arms of the chair she was occupying. She pressed herself back far against the seat back.

"Storybrooke is a cursed town, Miss French. No matter what reasons people tell themselves for staying, the truth is that this city will never let anyone leave. Bad things happen to people who try to leave."

Anna blinked a few times. "That's ridiculous." She tried to press herself back further into the seat, to no avail. Mr. Gold's face was far too close to her own. He didn't reply to her statement, but just looked at her, his eyes searching her face for something. Whether he found it or not, Anna couldn't fathom. All she could do was look back at him, wide eyed.

"You'll see." He leaned back up and away from her, and Anna let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

She nervously smoothed her hair, and tried to compose herself. "Let's assume that what you say is true. Maybe it will be different for me. Things are... unfortunate here for me. Maybe if I leave the opposite will happen and good things will happen. Maybe this is Storybrooke's way of telling me I don't belong here."

"You do belong here." He looked at her intently for a moment, then turned away sharply, swearing under his breath. "Don't think about leaving without notice, Miss French. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to offer you a good reference if you were to do that." His tone was sharper now than before.

"I... well... I won't. I need to make... arrangements first." Anna's mind was racing. Now that she'd actually decided she was going to leave this place, she had no idea what to do next. Where would she even go? A slight fear began to rise in her, and she pushed it down. That wouldn't help anything. People began fresh in other places all the time. So could she. What Mr. Gold said about Storybrooke not letting her go sounded like a fairy tale, and she cursed him inwardly for making her doubt herself.

"Good. I believe two weeks is the standard time, at the very least."

"Y-yes."

"Then I suppose if you have so many...arrangements to make you'd better hurry and get started." He suddenly looked very preoccupied, like he had better things to do.

_That's a dismissal if I ever heard one._

Anna tried to suppress her annoyance at this man. Protecting her one minute and telling her to get out in the next.

"You're right. I'll just be going then." She stood up and grabbed her keys and bag, and stomped over to the door, opening it. She turned around to see Mr. Gold still standing where he had been, but he didn't turn to look at her as she left and closed the door.

About twenty minutes later Anna was walking through her own front door. She threw her things on the table and sat down heavily, leaning her hands against her head and just stared straightforward. She never would have thought a few short hours ago her planned path would have veered so suddenly. Not that she'd had much of a plan. She closed her eyes, calling up the memory of Gaston saying something was wrong with her. It hurt to think about, to be sure, but would give her the determination to leave this place, despite the fear that was slowly...oh so slowly working its way to a more dominant place in her heart.

* * *

A few days passed. Anna had immersed herself in researching any employment opportunities in nearby towns. She sent off some email applications and inquiries about rooms and apartments for rent. Luckily, she'd been renting her apartment long enough that she didn't need to give much notice to her landlord before she left. She still had shifts to cover at work, and was concerned how working with Mr. Gold would go when they had parted on such a sour note. However, as soon as she came in to work, he left, saying he had other things to attend to. This pattern kept every time she came in for the next week and a half. She was relieved to an extent, but sad.

She would never have admitted it before, but Mr. Gold was probably the closest thing to a confidant she had. She'd certainly revealed more to him in their last altercation than she'd ever felt free to say to anyone else. It made her want to apologize, even though in her mind she hadn't said anything she needed to be repentant for. Mr. Gold obviously didn't feel that way, or else he wouldn't be avoiding her the way he was, would he?

The next day Anna came to work, and for the first time Mr. Gold didn't make the quick excuse to leave that he usually did. After taking a moment to straighten some paperwork behind the counter, he walked over to where she was organizing the bookshelves.

"Anna..." She turned around to face him. He had his features set into a properly apologetic expression. "I want to apologize for the way I acted towards you last week." He glanced away, then back at her, his grip on his cane tightening. "I was... bothered by Gaston's cruel actions towards you. And your intention to leave. It was all very surprising. Please forgive me."

"It's forgotten." She gave him a genuine smile, relieved that the situation between them had finally begun to resolve.

"Also, I'd like to have you over to my home for dinner tomorrow evening... a sort of farewell. I'll be losing my best employee."

Her smile widened. "I'm your only employee."

"Indeed." He returned her smile. "That doesn't change the truth of the statement."

"I'd be delighted."

"Excellent. Come by at about 7:00. Everything will be ready."

"Ok."

They spent the rest of the workday in companionable silence, with Mr. Gold mostly working on that old book at his table, which had been neglected during his absence. She left at 5:00, when the shop was usually closed for the day, but Mr. Gold said he wanted to stay behind longer to catch up on his restoration work, so Anna walked to her car alone. Surprisingly, she was really looking forward to dinner at her boss's house. It was nice discovering she did indeed have someone here she could talk to about things. It was almost like having a friend.

Some people might consider it inappropriate, but she couldn't imagine what ulterior motive he could have from a simple dinner. He might try to use this opportunity to talk her again out of leaving. She half expected it. Which was fine. She was not going to change her mind, and she could use the practice arguing her point. She hadn't told her dad yet about her plans to go. Or Gaston. Not that it was any of his business.

She paused, thinking about what her dad said about Gaston thinking of taking on a business internship in Augusta. She made a mental note not to move to Augusta. The last thing she needed was to end up far away in a strange city with that jerk being the only person she knew. He'd probably try to take advantage of that, somehow. She shuddered at the thought.

Once home, Anna went to her closet and examined the contents, frowning. She'd never really had much of a reason to keep many fancy clothes, but she was sure that with a little effort she could come up with something appropriate to wear to dinner with Mr. Gold.

* * *

Anna again found herself nervously smoothing her hair as she approached the door to Mr. Gold's. She'd spent a few hours getting ready, even though it's just for a friendly dinner, finally selecting a light blue summer dress and white blouse ensemble she'd purchased several months ago and not found occasion to wear yet. It was perfect for tonight, though. Not too dressy, and not too casual.

She drew her hand back to rap lightly on the frame of the stained glass door, but it opened beneath her fist before she even came in contact with it. She probably looked surprised and a little silly with her raised hand in mid-knock. She might have felt a bit embarrassed if Mr. Gold weren't wearing a similar surprised... no, shocked expression as he took in her attire. She blushed.

_It's not so unusual to see me in a dress, is it?_

After a few awkward moments, Mr. Gold took a step back, bowing slightly and gesturing for her to enter. "You look lovely...Anna. Please come in."

He didn't look too bad himself. He always wore a suit, but this one was black with a lovely sheen. He also wore a dark green shirt that looked like it could be silk, and a gold tie. She approved.

"Thank you. So do you." Anna stepped into the main hallway. She'd been here a few times before, to help Mr. Gold bring things from his home that he wanted to take to the shop, and vice versa. It never ceased to amaze her, the collection of antiques he owned. The things in his own home were even more amazing than the high priced merchandise he kept at his shop. She asked him how he came by all of it once, and he replied "Ebay" with a perfectly straight face. It had made her laugh right in front of him. She'd never even seen him use a computer in all the time she'd worked with him. She was fairly sure he didn't own one, and the only way he ever would is if they suddenly began to qualify as antiques. She never had gotten a straight answer about his acquisitions, however. He was a private man.

She rounded the corner into the living room and gasped at the display set out before her. The long dining table was covered in a woven lace cloth, topped with gleaming silverware and what was the most delicate china dishes she'd ever seen. A blue and white tea service in the center of the table caught her eye. She picked up a chipped cup from the tray they sat on. It was feather light in her hand. She ran a finger over the blemish. It was nearly smooth, like hands had already run themselves over that broken spot many times.

"This is a beautiful set. What happened to this one?" She turned back towards Mr. Gold, who was again wearing that strained expression she saw when he first opened the door.

"Housekeeper dropped it."

"Oh." She raised her eyebrows. "I didn't know you kept a..."

"Not anymore," he interrupted.

"I see. Did you fire her for breaking your cup?" She smiled teasingly.

"No." He looked away, a pained expression on his face. No explanation was forthcoming. Her smile faltered.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, dearie. This old wound is just bothering me a little more than normal today."

"Oh! I'm so sorry...did you make dinner yourself?" He'd probably been standing awhile in the kitchen to do so.

"I did. Is it the idea of my cooking that makes you so sorry?" A ghost of a smile returned to his features.

"Yes. I mean No! I'm sure it's wonderful... but your leg. You should sit and let me get everything from the kitchen."

"I cook all the time. One must eat. No need to feel apologetic about it."

"Still. Let me get it... Please." She looked imploringly at him.

He sighed, and sat down. "Very well. But you only make me feel older than I am with fussing like that."

"You aren't old... you're injured. That's completely different."

He smirked. "Thank you. I feel much better about myself now."

She sighed melodramatically. "Don't be so difficult. It will only take me a minute. If we have to wait for you, the food will be cold by the time we are ready to eat." she let the teasing note from earlier return to her voice.

He grunted, and she went to the kitchen, smiling once again. The food smelled delicious as she carried out the few dishes she found waiting on the counter. Mr. Gold was once again standing, with a bottle of wine he'd just opened, pouring it into two glasses. He raised an eyebrow as she entered.

"Is red wine to your liking?"

She tilted her head slightly and regarded him, deciding how to answer. "Well, I've honestly never had much of a taste for wine, red or white. But I'm certain it's an acquired taste. And the only way to acquire that is to try."

He smiled, his gaze still looking down at the wine as he poured. "You've never had any of this wine. It's my own special blend."

"You make wine as well?" He was full of surprises. Though, wine seemed an elegant and refined thing, like Mr. Gold himself. And it had potential to become better with age, like... she stopped that thought, blushing.

"It's a hobby." He stated, looking up, taking in her reddening visage with a curious glance. He held out the slender glass to her, and she took it, her fingers brushing his.

She took a sip and swallowed, trying to savor the flavor. She was surprised. He was right - it really was different from other wine she'd had. It was bitter, but with a sweet aftertaste. It almost smelled like... roses? She closed her eyes and took a larger sip, tilting her head back a little, letting more of the liquid flow over her tongue. She swallowed. It really did taste of roses. Incredible. She opened her eyes again and his gaze had drifted down to her neck, an intent look on his face.

Self consciously, she put a hand up to her neck, breaking his line of vision, and he lifted his eyes to her. "So... what do you think?"

"It's amazing. How did you do it? Make it taste like roses?"

"It has to do with the soil the grapes are grown in. They take on the taste of the land and plants around them."

"You have a rose and grape garden?"

"Not anymore. I made this blend a long time ago."

"When?"

"Too many years to count."

She frowned, once again disappointed in his lack of voluntary information. He distracted her from the thought by leaning forward and taking the glass from her hand, setting it down on the now food-laden table.

"Please. Sit." He pulled out the chair for her. She smiled at him.

"How gentlemanly of you."

"I can be a gentleman when I want to be."

Anna sat down, surveying the food in front of her. She was disappointed, as always, with Mr. Gold's topic changing, but she really did need to go ahead and eat something. That tiny bit of wine was already going to her head.

She took a napkin and placed it in her lap, and pulled the plate Mr. Gold had prepared towards her. She couldn't decide what to try first. She started in on something that looked like a pudding of some sort. It was delicious. She sighed, closing her eyes and licking the spoon. "This is wonderful."

"Thank you." His voice had a slightly husky quality to it. She looked up, startled. His eyes were dark as he looked at her, but he turned away towards his own plate. "I see you are a dessert first kind of girl." He took a bite of food.

"I suppose so..." she fidgeted with her spoon, twirling in the pudding on the plate. "Dad always used to tell me I could only have dessert after I'd eaten...but it always seemed to me I ate the same amount regardless so," she shrugged, "why delay the inevitable?" She took another bite of pudding, then paused, frowning. She felt worse than before. This couldn't be just from those few swallows of wine she took.

"I couldn't agree more."

She shook her head a little, but it didn't help. It only made it worse. "I feel strange..."

Her dinner partner pushed his chair back, standing. "Anna... maybe you should lie down."

"No." She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then peered up at him. "Did you... put something in my drink?"

Mr. Gold stood for a moment, as if considering his answer, then shrugged. "Yes."

"What! Why?" Anna shoved her seat back from the table, then wobbled in her chair. She would have fallen to the ground if Mr. Gold hadn't been right there to catch her.

"Careful, Anna."

"Why are you doing this?" She could hear the tears in her own voice. "I thought...that we were friends."

He looked down at her, one hand braced against her chair back, his forearm curled around her shoulders, keeping her upright. The other was twined in her hair.

"Friends? I don't think anyone has ever considered me that. But trust me when I say this is for your own good."

"I don't understand." Her words slurred.

"You will." He leaned down toward her.

"It's time to wake up now... Belle." His lips pressed against hers as he tightened his grip on her shoulders and hair. She felt the darkness that had been slowly creeping up on her since she took a sip of the wine totally sweep her away.


	4. Chapter 4

Images, thoughts, and feelings swirled around Belle. She felt like she was floating in the middle of an ocean in a storm. Each wave reflected the scenes of a forgotten life back at her before washing over her, drowning her.

_"I will go with him"  
_ _"I forbid it."  
_ _"No one decides my fate but me. I shall go."  
_ _"It's forever dearie."  
_ _"My family? My friends? They will all live?"  
_ _"You have my word."  
_ _"Then you have mine. I will go. With you. Forever."_

Mr. Gold and Rumplestiltskin. One in the same.

He had found her again. Had her as his servant. Again. Still. Forever.

_"...she will take the heart to the center of the forest near her castle. Where the crossroads of old magic lay. Her servants will all offer a piece of themselves up to her to burn. You would need both of these things to nullify the spell. They must be thrown into the beginnings of the curse just as it is born."  
_ _"And this will stop it?"  
_ _"More or less."_

She should be dead. She should be dead. She should be dead.

Belle squeezed her eyes shut against the sting of each returned memory. She could feel herself being pulled deeper and deeper towards the bottom.

The bottom of what?

She began to fight the current. She couldn't tell which way was the surface, and which was the deep, but she tried to swim away from the direction the waters seemed to be trying to push her.

_"I free you, Belle. Go home."_

She struggled once more, but it was futile. She lost her last breath, and was pulled toward the depths.

* * *

Belle awoke suddenly, eyes wide and gasping for breath. She was laying in an unfamiliar bed in an ornate but dark-paneled room. The curtains were drawn, and the door closed. The only light seeped in under that same door from the hallway. She sat up, pushing back the blankets that covered her, and swung her legs over the edge, where they dangled.

Her chin hung to her chest. Even that small effort caused her to lose her breath. She was weak, from some unremembered struggle.

But she did remember. Everything. She was, had been a princess once. She traded her life for that of her friends and family. And then sacrificed it for them.

Yet here she was.

She should be dead.

Why wasn't she?

She pushed herself out of the bed, the cold wood of the floor causing her to become a bit more alert. She stumbled over to the door, leaning against the frame for a moment, before reaching for the handle. She turned it and pulled the door open, shielding her eyes against the light. Her hands curled around the frame of the door, pulling herself outside. She braced herself against the wall as she walked down the hallway. Recognition of her surroundings began to fill her.

This was Mr. Gold's home. No...Rumplestiltskin's.

She stopped walking for a moment, resting and breathing deeply. A dryness built up in her throat and she coughed. Then she heard disproportionate footsteps coming up the stairs. The footsteps of Mr. Gold.

Not Mr. Gold... Rumplestiltskin. Except her Ru had never walked with a cane.

He rounded the corner as quickly as he could, a distressed look on his face.

"Belle... you should be in bed."

"I..."

"Shhh." He hushed her as he lifted her away from the wall with his unoccupied arm, pulling her tightly against him as he steered her steps back towards the bedroom she'd just left. She was too drained to argue against it. He guided her back towards the bed, and she climbed in and lay down, turning to look at him.

"Ru..."

"Shh, dear. Just rest." His hand cupped the side of her face, the rough surface of this thumb stroking her cheek.

"I should be dead."

His expression was inscrutable as he looked down at her, his thumb pausing against her cheek. He then leaned over and pressed his lips against her forehead.

"Just sleep now."

And she did.

* * *

When next she opened her eyes, it was daylight. The thick curtains were still drawn, but she could tell that the sun was shining on the other side, barely managing to penetrate the darkness. A shaft of light fell across the face of Mr. Gold laying in the bed beside her, on top of the duvet, asleep. She felt stronger upon waking this time as she turned her face to study the profile of the man next to her.

She could see Ru in his features. He looked...older this way. But human. It was a miracle. She reflected back on all her time spent around him in this world. Had he been Rumplestiltskin all this time under that visage? While she was just Anna? He must have. He had done something to bring her back to herself. She remembered... not remembering. To say it was a strange feeling was an understatement.

As if sensing that she watched and wondered, he began to stir, slowly blinking his eyes against the light, then turning away from it, towards her. His eyes softened.

"Good morning." she said

"Good morning." he stroked her cheek again. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused."

"Yes. I imagine so."

"Why am I alive?"

He pressed his lips together, forming a thin line. "I'll explain soon enough. When you're feeling better."

Belle felt too numb to feel curious, and didn't argue. It was difficult to correlate what she knew of Storybrooke to what she knew of her life in her homeland. Her dad was here. As was Gaston, and other people she recognized from home, on reflection. And many she didn't. Were they all from her land? Had the curse worked? She thought she had stopped it.

But she was here. She must have failed.

Mr. Gold... Ru... studied her face for a few more moments, before sitting up.

"I'll make breakfast. There is a bathroom across the hall, with some of your clothes in it. When you're ready, come downstairs." He reached for his cane, and stood, hobbling around the end of the bed toward the door. He was wearing the same clothes she vaguely remembered him being in last night. Except his suit jacket was hanging on the back of the chair, and his shirt was untucked, and wrinkled from laying down. It was the most slovenly she'd ever seen him look. In this life or the other.

He left the door ajar behind him. Belle waited a few minutes before finally pushing herself out of bed. The bathroom across the hallway was lovely. A large claw-foot bathtub with a freestanding shower took up the corner of the room. As he said, clothes from her home were folded neatly on the counter, along with some towels. He must have taken her key and gone to get them while she was asleep. Or sent someone, she amended as she thought of his group of lackeys he occasionally used.

Belle took a quick shower, the idea of languishing under the water not being appealing for some reason. After dressing, she made her way downstairs, following the smell of blueberry pancakes and fresh coffee through the hallway toward the kitchen.

As she passed through the dining room, she thought about what had happened... last night? The night before? In truth she didn't know how long she'd been asleep. She touched her fingers to her lips, recalling the feel of Ru's against them. He had awoken her with a kiss.

She pushed the door to the kitchen open, and saw him standing in front of the stove. Without thought, she went to him to take over the duties she was so long accustomed to, but he waved her away. So, instead, she sat at the counter across from him, listless. He scooped pancakes onto her plate, and she poured syrup over them, and ate without tasting. Ru served himself, and poured them both coffee. They shared their breakfast in silence, exchanging glances over food.

"You kissed me."

He paused in his chewing, looking up at her. "Yes"

"And it woke me up." She stared out the window absently, her finger twirling a curl of her hair. "I guess that makes you my Prince."

His response was long in coming. "I made a potion that restored your memories."

She paused her finger. "I see." Then nodded as if in understanding. "The wine... It... tasted like roses."

He just looked at her, his gaze intent.

"You used to grow them for me at the dark castle."

"Yes."

"Where did you get the roses for the wine?"

"In the forest. There are many things to be found there from our homeland that got swept here along with the people."

She paused, then "Take me there?"

* * *

They walked side by side down a path through the woodland on the outskirts of town. After a half hour of walking, he abruptly turned off the path, leaving Belle to follow. He seemed to be pursuing some inner sense of where to go rather than a map or memory. Their progress slowed, away from the main path, but Ru seemed sure of where he was going.

They turned a corner, and there was a rosebush, growing at the base of a tree.

Belle stepped forward. Ru stood back, watching. She knelt in front of the plant and reached out to touch the blooms lightly, but didn't try to pick one. She recognized the roses from her garden at the castle. They might look like regular roses to anyone else, but she  _knew_. They seemed to greet her, glad that she had returned after being away from them for so long.

She stood, and looked back towards him. "The items in your shop - you find them out here, don't you?"

He nodded. "Yes".

She furrowed her brow. "Why? Why have you been collecting them?"

He sighed, and leaned on his cane. "Power, mostly. Nobody has it here, anymore. Including me. But everything that came from our home still retains the... essence of who it belonged to. They were all things very important to someone. That sort of item has a certain authority woven into it's skin."

She stood, thoughtful, her fingers stroking the petals on one of the roses.

"Ru... tell me why I'm not dead."

"Not today."

* * *

Belle stayed in Ru's house for a few days. She didn't ask him anymore questions. She spoke with her dad once - after he'd left several messages on her phone - assuring him that she was fine, just feeling under the weather. Her keeper didn't leave the house, either. She could hear him making business related calls occasionally on his phone from the other room. When she suggested once that she would be fine if he wanted to go attend the shop, he'd looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language.

She stayed in the same room for the next few nights. A room she soon discovered was Ru's when he'd come in to get some clothes - which he took into the guest bedroom. He was being a gentleman, but she found herself wishing she could wake up next to him again.

One evening, Belle saw him sitting at the desk in his study, and walked up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He was making marks in a leather-bound book.

"What are you doing?"

He stiffened under her hand, and closed the book. "You shouldn't worry about it."

She pursed her lips, and stepped around to face him. "I'm ready for answers, now."

His smile was humorless "I sincerely doubt it."

"You gave me my memories back at this time for a reason, didn't you? Otherwise you would have done it sooner."

"You were going to leave."

"You said bad things happen to people who try to leave. But they always come back. So would I have, right?"

"I didn't want you to be hurt at all."

"And, you missed the old me?"

"You're still the same. Now you remember."

"You wanted someone else to talk to. Someone with a memory of what's real."

"Not just anyone."

"So talk to me. Tell me the truth."

He sighed, running his palm over his face. "Alright." He pulled the thick ledger back out, opening it to the latest page. She couldn't imagine what he was trying to hide from her. It was turned to a page covered in short markings, like he was keeping count of something.

"You're probably thinking that you failed in stopping the curse." He looked up at her and smiled grimly. "Considering that we're not home, and instead trapped in a town that will never let anyone leave."

"Yes. I... overheard you talking to a woman in the castle that day about the curse."

"I know."

She paused at that. It shouldn't surprise her. He had known everything, in those days. "You told her how to stop the curse. And I did what you said."

"I believe my exact words were 'more or less'."

"So what happened?"

"You gave your own life, which was noble, and brave." He reached up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "But the Queen sacrificed two lives that day. Her father's. And her own. She thought she was going to be happy. But that isn't the way magic works. She never did understand that." His voice lowered at the last part.

"So it was in vain."

"Not exactly."

"I don't understand. We're all still trapped here."

"The original terms of the curse dictated a very different scenario. The Queen was to be in charge of this world. Everyone was supposed to be separated from the things that they loved. To live in restless misery. And to be trapped in time. But only the last part held."

He looked away for a minute, then back up at her. "Do you remember what you wished before you threw yourself into the fire?" She nodded, eyes fixed on him. "I created this curse, and when you changed it I could feel it happen inside me. You wished for everyone to have a happy ending. With that wish you took the power of the curse away from the Queen. Regina. That's why she has no memory of our home, either. Why everyone is content, including her. You wished for it."

She licked her lips. It was a lot to take in. Time to ask the question he kept refusing to answer.

"But Ru... why am I not dead?"

His hand was stroking the desk, and he was looking down at it, like he was studying the grain in the wood. He stopped, then stood up. She stepped back at the look in his eyes. He'd been nothing but gentle for days, but the look in his eyes was suddenly... possessive was the only word to describe it. She took another step back, her eyes wide.

"You have to remember, now, Belle, that I made the curse. And it's the nastiest piece of magic I've ever put together. I put a lot of myself into it. That curse was me, Belle. And you gave yourself to it." He took a step again toward her, and she backed up, almost against the wall.

"With your wish. Your sacrifice... you took the power of the curse out of the hands of the villains - Regina, and me." He had her backed up against the wall now, arms trapping her. "But now are mine. Body, heart and soul. I freed you, and you gave yourself back to me. More completely than I ever could have managed with any deal." His hand stroked her face, and trailed slowly down the length of her side as he looked into her eyes. "And I certainly don't want you dead."

His face was close to hers, their foreheads nearly pressed together. "In all my years, only you have been able to take power away from me. The Queen tried so many times. You're stronger than you know." He leaned to the side, pressing his lips against her ear, and whispered into it.

"And... I own you."


	5. Chapter 5

_Own me? You already owned me. What's changed?_

Abruptly, he pulled away, putting distance between them. He studied her.

"Now you know."

She blinked at him, a bit dazed at his quick change in manner. She could still feel his lips against her ear.

"You own me." She formed the words slowly, tasting them in her mouth.

"Yes."

"How is that a change from before? I was basically your slave then, too."

"This is different." His voice was harsh. She winced.

"How?" Somehow she managed to keep her voice steady.

"Let's just say it's stronger. There will be no getting out of it this time."

She gazed up at him steadily. "Maybe I don't want to."

He turned away, but not before she saw the beginnings of a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "Don't say things you might regret." He walked back towards the desk, running his hand across the page of the book he had been making notes in.

"What...is that?"

"This, my dear, is a record. It tells us how long we've been in Storybrooke."

Belle searched her memory, trying to follow what he was saying. Moments before he had been nearly kissing her. "You said... we were trapped in time."

"Yes. And seeing as how I'm just as subject to... most of the affects of the curse as everyone else now, I found my mind disoriented. I needed a way to keep track." He picked up the account and handed it to her. She began to flip through it. It was a thin book, and most of the pages were filled from margin to margin with small, deliberate marks, and inter-spaced notations. She furrowed her brow. It was more than half filled. Thousands of days marked as passed.

"How long have we been here?"

"Near as I can tell, 30 years."

Her jaw dropped, her expression one of disbelief. "That's impossible."

"I could be off. In the beginning, I didn't believe I needed to bother with it."

"I'm not even thirty!"

"Frozen in time, love."

"How did I not notice thirty years of... this?"

"When I began to keep this book, I made a point of logging the year down along with a count of the days. Once, when I was making a deposit at the bank I found myself writing down the year wrong on a slip. It seemed like one of those moments where you just forget what you are doing. But when I came back... I made sure to look at this. Sure enough, the log matched what I'd first begun to write. Somehow, in the space of a moment I lost a whole year. As did everyone in town. Suddenly, it was as though time had started over... and no one thought anything of it."

"Why...do you remember everything?"

"I wouldn't sell a curse to end all curses without putting a few safeguards in. Give me some credit."

Belle blushed, lowering her gaze. She felt a hand on her chin as it was lifted back up to meet Rumpelstiltskin's.

"No need to be embarrassed around me, dearie. About anything." She nodded obediently, and he released her.

"So what do we do now?"

"Do?"

"Well..." she wrung her hands "We can't just stay here... can we?"

He regarded her somberly. "We could."

"But... none of it's real."

"It is real."

"It's not home."

"Everyone is happy. It's what you wished for."

She was silent for a moment, considering. "Ru, why has my own situation been so... unfortunate?"

"The curse was trying to bring us together, dearie. As long as you kept fighting being here, circumstances were against you."

She arched an eyebrow. "The curse? Didn't you just finish telling me that the curse was you?"

The corner of his mouth raised into a half smile. "Indeed." She just looked at him, waiting for him to explicate.

"Just stay here with me, and you'll be happy."

Her eyes widened slightly. Did he mean stay here with him at his home? Or stay here with him in Storybrooke - forever? She was afraid to ask.

She didn't know what her answer would be.

* * *

It had been nearly a week that Belle had been staying with Gold at his home. She had become more acclimated to having two sets of memories living inside her, and was beginning to feel more herself.

Belle had decided not to pursue questioning Rumpelstiltskin about the idea of breaking the curse. His counter questioning had thrown her off balance. She was set against this town, because she seemed to be unable to leave. Because she was forced to endure circumstances that were not at all what she'd associated with being happy. Her dad kicking her out, trying to force her into dating Gaston (again! Ru had already saved her from that fate once), always being short of funds...

She shook her head. But now that she was with Rumplestiltskin, apparently that would all stop. And she would be happy. Or so he said.

Wasn't there more to life than just being happy, though? It bothered her, the idea of joy without the sorrow. Possibly because, with her memories restored, she was still well acquainted with both.

They had finally both left the house that day. Mr. Gold was going to his shop, and, even though he seemed displeased with the idea of her being away from him, she had a few of her own things she had to take care of. She wanted to meet with her dad and give him a solid reason why she couldn't date Gaston. Also, since she'd gotten her memories back, she recalled how they'd parted on such dramatic terms that day, and she was eager to see him again.

She stepped into Granny's diner. There really weren't many options for eating out in Storybrooke. This time, however, she was the first to arrive, and she took a booth, awaiting her father. She fidgeted with her silverware, and ordered a coffee to nurse.

Belle had allowed her gaze to wander out the window, watching the people walk by, so didn't notice when her father approached her table.

"Belle". She looked up, and smiled radiantly. "Hello, dad!" She stood and hugged him.

"So enthusiastic. You seem to be feeling better." He sat down and scooted into the booth across from her.

"Yes. Much. Thank you." She smiled brightly, and looked down at her menu. After a few moments of silence, she looked up to see him studying her. He was smiling.

"So, is there any particular reason for this mood?" He glanced down at the menu, adjusting it in his hand "Would it have anything to do with a certain man?"

Belle looked at him, frozen in shock for a moment. Did he know she'd been with Mr. Gold this past week? She sat there, staring at his downcast eyes, for what seemed like a full minute until she realized that of course her father wasn't talking about Ru. He was talking about Gaston.

"Oh, uh... no. No. Things are not going to work out with Gaston." He's a masochistic jerk. "We don't see eye to eye."

"Your mother and I were the same way, once." He chuckled. "But in the end, I won her over. We were happy. You could be, too."

Belle chewed on her lip. She didn't want to lie to her dad. This wouldn't exactly be a lie, though.

"The truth is, I'm with someone else."

Mr. French raised both eyebrows "You're dating someone? Why didn't you tell me? For how long?"

Belle muttered under her breath, "About 30 years."

"Pardon?"

"Not long. We just became official recently".

Her father sighed. "Belle, are you...with this person just to get me to leave you alone about Gaston? I know I've been pushy about you two getting together, but you don't have to..."

"No, that's not it." she interrupted him. "We've known each other for awhile."

At this, he looked confused. This was a small town, and he probably thought he knew about every available prospect for her. "Who is it?"

She fidgeted with her hair, looking out the window again. "Mr. Gold."

"WHAT?"

"Shhhh." She looked around. A few people were staring.

"Belle! That man is old enough to be... to be me. You aren't serious."

"I am." She wasn't. It's not as though she were dating Ru. She was bound to him, sure, but dating was something completely different. She knew that she'd probably be spending a lot of time in his company now, though. And he was pragmatic. If he found out she'd told her dad this as her excuse for being with him, and for keeping Gaston away, he would probably agree it was the most suitable explanation.

Her father leaned back, running a hand over his face. "Belle... that man, he's..."

She raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"

"He's cranky. He's old. He's not good enough for you." He sat up, as if a horrifying thought had suddenly occurred to him. "Has he been harassing you at the store when you're working?"

"No, dad!"

He sat back, looking like someone deflated him. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say, anything. It's my choice. I just want you to accept it. Please."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, not speaking until Ruby came over to take their order. She glanced at both of them in a way that made Belle wonder if she'd been eavesdropping on their conversation. They didn't speak again until she'd brought their food out. It was quick. Her dad typically ordered the same thing every time, as did she. She wasn't sure why she even looked at the menu anymore.

"So...Mr. Gold, huh?"

"Yeah."

He shook his head, "I still say this is a proximity issue. Maybe if you got a new job, or a hobby to get out more..." he stopped at his daughter's look. "I accept it. But I don't have to like it. For now." He amended.

She smiled. "Thanks, dad. I love you." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and he looked pleased, but bashful.

They finished their meal in peace, and Belle was glad she didn't have to worry about explaining anything to her dad further. This excuse would serve nicely for keeping her life in order for the moment. She could go back to working at the quaint shop. She doubted she had to worry about funds as much anymore, since Ru was well enough off, and Belle had no doubt he would take care of her. The idea of life here suddenly seemed... peaceful. She felt content for the first time in as long as she could remember. She smiled softly.

"You're different." She looked up. Her father was studying her.

"What do you mean?"

"You seem happier than I can recall you being in a long time." He was silent for a moment. "Maybe this man isn't so bad for you." He frowned "I still don't like him."

She grinned. "Of course not. It's your job not to like my boyfriend." He grunted at the use of the term.

They both stood, her father offering to pay. She hugged him again before they parted. This was the best interaction she'd had with him for ages. Maybe Ru was right about her circumstances only being bad because the curse was trying to push the two of them together. Things looked positively optimistic now.

She was walking across the street, so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see the car coming until it was too late.

* * *

_~"BELLE. MOVE. NOW."~_

It was Ru's voice. But it was in her head. In her limbs.

She saw the car barreling towards her, but she was frozen in place, like they always say about deer. There was no way she was going to be able to get out of the way. Except that something happened. When she heard Ru's voice in her head, it felt as though the words were a living command. They seeped into her bones, and took control. It was like an out of body experience as she felt herself leap away from the path of the oncoming vehicle, as graceful as a bird. She spun, looking back at the Mercedes as it hit the breaks, tires screeching.

Suddenly, Belle's body felt weak, and she collapsed on the ground.

_What was that?_

She was still kneeling on the ground, shaking, as Regina ran up to her.

"Oh my god, Anna! Are you ok?" The woman bent over her, running her hands over Belle's arms, as if checking for injuries. "I'm so sorry. You walked right out in front of me."

"It's ok. I'm ok..." her voice cracked.

"We should get you to the hospital, just to be sure." She helped Belle to her feet.

"No. I just need to sit down." She walked shakily over to one of the tables outside the diner, and sat down, Regina's arm around her shoulders. Her father was then running over to the two of them.

"Belle! Belle! Are you ok?" He ran up to her, and she once again had hands covering her, examining her.

"Yes."

"We should get you to the hospital."

"She didn't hit me."

A few of the people from the diner were standing outside now. Ruby exclaimed "Anna, that was awesome! You just danced out of the way! Like an acrobat. How did you do it?"

Belle shook her head. "I don't know."

Regina looked at her. "It was probably just adrenaline."

Belle buried her face in her hands, trying to tune out the worried murmurs of the small crowd that had gathered.

"Move away from her." His voice carried through the din.

She looked up, and saw Ru standing a few feet away, his long, fixed stare cutting a path through the throng of people. Regina stepped away, and Ru's eyes flicked to her, murderous. Belle could see the woman beside her flinch. Her father continued to hold her.

"I'll be taking things from here, Mr. French."

Her dad stood, staring down the other man. "She needs to go to a hospital."

"Why? Does she have any broken bones? Is she bleeding?"

"No."

"Then she's in shock. And I doubt sitting in a hospital waiting room for several hours is going to help that. I'll take her and get her warmed up. She'll be fine." His voice was cold.

Ruby coughed loudly, muttering something that sounded a lot like "I bet". Both men shot her a dark glance and she looked away.

"Then I'm coming with you." Her father said, as he moved to help Belle up.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. French."

"Don't tell me what's necessary with my own daughter, you old lech."

Ru's cold facade turned briefly to confusion at her father's words. Belle stood up, putting herself between the two of them.

"Dad. I just want to go home. Mr. Gold can take me. Please." she added the last word when he looked ready to balk. A pained expression crossed his face, but he nodded and stepped back, allowing Ru to step in beside her, pulling her away from the crowd. Belle walked mostly under her own power, but Ru's hand on her back directing her towards his car. It was haphazardly parked halfway onto a curb, halfway in the street. He'd obviously been in a hurry.

"Bitch," he muttered under his breath. "Even freed of her memories, that woman tries to take what's mine."

Belle was silent as he gently guided her into the passengers seat, then walked around to the opposite side and got in, closing the door. He took a deep breath, before reaching to turn his keys, which were still in the ignition.

"Ru." He paused at the sound of her voice. He pulled his hand away from the key, clenching his fist, and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Yes?"

"I heard your voice." He didn't reply, but just kept his eyes shut, as though expecting a blow. She persisted. "You told me to move, and I did." Silence. "How did you do that?"

"I told you our bond was stronger this time." His jaw was clenched.

"So you can... what? Control me?" She let her gaze slide along his profile.

"Yes." His answer was clipped.

She frowned, considering "In what... way?"

"In every way. Actions... thoughts. Feelings. I told you the spell was powerful."

Her eyes widened slightly at the implications "Have you been doing it all along?"

"NO!" He opened his eyes and turned to stare at her. She flinched but held his gaze.

"Damnit. I never did... it was tempting... but never. Not until now. You were in danger. You might have died."

Belle leaned against the seat, regarding him silently. He took another deep breath before turning the key, and starting the car.

"Let's go home, Belle."

* * *

Ru pulled up in front of his house, parking the car.

"I told my dad I was going home."

"This is your home now." He stepped out, shutting the door hard. Belle slid out of her seat and came around to where he was standing.

"I want to go back to my house."

"No."

"What do you mean, 'No' "?

"I mean, the only time I've let you out of my sight since restoring your memories, you were almost killed. It's not going to happen again."

"Ru..."

"End of discussion." He placed a hand on her elbow, and began pulling her along with him towards the house. "Inside."

She pulled away from him slightly, and stopped to look at him. "What happened today was an accident. I know you're worried," she placed her hand on his arm "but you can't just keep me in here forever."

He stood there, regarding her for a moment with narrowed eyes. "Regina tried to run you down with her car. As soon as I restore you? Seems a bit too coincidental to be coincidence, don't you think?" He turned again towards the house, pulling her along a bit more roughly this time.

"You're not going anywhere."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight dubious consent in this chapter.

Belle sat in Mr. Gold's study, her eyes focused on the book in front of her. She let her eyes roam over the same line a dozen times before she gave up and set it on the table beside her. She'd been reading all day. There was not much else to do here. Ru had been true to his word and hadn't let her leave the house since yesterday. He'd pulled out a ring full of old, archaic looking keys and proceeded to lock all the doors and windows as she'd looked on. The keyring never left his side.

She hadn't minded his over protectiveness at first. He was obviously shaken up by the accident earlier, as was she. And truth be told, she'd been slightly flattered. However, after fielding calls from her dad all day, making up excuses why he couldn't come by and check on her, Ru's refusal to compromise was becoming frustrating.

The man himself was sitting a few feet away at his desk, books strewn about him on the top of it, and on the floor. He'd been acutely focused on them all day, practically tearing apart his library in search of something. Belle had curled up on a seat in the furthest corner, watching him occasionally out of the corner of her eye as he'd conducted his all consuming investigation. She'd asked him once what he was looking for, but he'd refused to answer. Then she tried to leave the room, and he'd turned to give her such a  _look_ , that she felt it was probably a bad idea to do anything apart from sit down and attempt to remain inconspicuous.

Belle stood up, stretching. It was early evening, and she hadn't had anything since breakfast. She was pretty sure Ru had not eaten at all that day.

"Listen. I'm hungry, and I'm going to get something to eat."

He looked up, his expression conflicted. Before he could argue with her, she continued.

"I. Am. Hungry. I've been in here all day and I'm going to the kitchen now. Do you want anything?"

"No thank you." He reluctantly turned back to his work.

She hesitated, considering insisting that he should eat, should stop...should talk to her, but in the end turned away and left the room. She ducked out of the library and headed down the hallway to the kitchen.

Belle was too hungry to wait for something to cook, so she grabbed some bread, and the makings of a sandwich out of the refrigerator. While preparing it, her thoughts wandered again to the thing that had been on her mind all day as she was reading. As she was staring at Ru's back as he hunched over his desk.

He could control her. She was like... his puppet.

It was the kind of revelation that made one think about every single action, every decision they'd made up until that point, and Belle was no exception. Ru said he'd not used the control he had over her, until that moment her life was in danger. But...could she trust that? He seemed to have no qualms at the moment about controlling where she went, even if that control wasn't as... intimate... as what she'd experienced on the road.

She sat down at the dining table and began to eat. The same table she'd sat at days, but also quite literally a lifetime ago, when Ru had kissed her and awakened her sleeping memory. She finished her meal, and sat, drumming her hands on the table, allowing her eyes to drift up to the curio - which contained the china, along with a small chipped teacup. Belle stood and walked around the table, standing in front of the cabinet. She reached her hand out and slid it around the handle, tugging it open. With her other hand she reached forward and plucked the cup from it's resting place. As on the first night she was here, she ran her fingertips over the smooth gouge in the ceramic.

This had been Rumplestiltskin's preferred cup when she made him tea in his castle. She'd always wondered why he hadn't repaired it magically. Of course she hadn't really believed that someone as capable as Rumplestiltskin would accidentally cut himself on a chipped cup, but one couldn't be too careful. She'd tried to switch teacups on him once, subtly slipping the broken one in her pocket with intent to throw it away. She'd looked down briefly and when she glanced back up, saw that he was drinking out of the chipped cup once again. Her jaw had dropped, and he'd innocently asked her what was wrong.

Lost in memories, she fumbled the cup in her hand, only nearly catching it before it went crashing to the floor.

"Careful, dearie. That cup is extremely old."

Startled, Belle gasped and turned to look at him, a guilty expression on her face. He was leaning against the door frame slightly, one hand grasping his cane. His eyes were on the teacup in her hand. He pushed himself away from the wall, and limped around the table to her. His hand circled the the side of the cup, fingertips entwining with hers. He took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." Belle whispered.

"It doesn't matter." he replied softly. He was looking down still at the cup, at their hands locked together as he slid one calloused thumb over her hers in a soothing motion. "Not anymore."

Belle could feel her pulse quicken; could feel the heat radiating off his body and through his fingers as they stroked hers. He looked up, meeting her eyes. She saw regret reflected through them. Loneliness. Desire. His grip tightened over hers.

"Ru..." He leaned forward. Belle took a deep breath, and turned her face down and away. "Have you... found out something?"

He paused in his motion. Belle could feel his body tense as he let out a soft, slow breath before leaning away from her. She looked back up and his eyes were closed. After a moment he opened them and met her eyes again. Resignation.

"It seems that... what I've done to you... bringing your memories back, may have weakened the spell on the rest of the town." He backed away, taking his hand from hers and the teacup she held. "Regina specifically."

"You honestly think that she tried to kill me?" Her eyes widened.

"Not consciously, but yes."

Belle was silent, crossing her arms over her chest. Yesterday she'd been on the verge of thinking it would be a wonderful idea to just stay in Storybrooke forever with Ru. Now she knew he'd had control of her the whole time, and she still didn't know what to think about it. And the Evil Queen she'd vanquished might be waking up. Despite what Ru said, even if she stopped fighting, it didn't seem like Storybrooke had any happy endings for her.

"Come with me, Belle." he said softly "I'll show you what else I've found." He turned away and hobbled towards the study, not looking back.

She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, like her heart was telling her she'd made the wrong decision in turning away from him. She couldn't just let him get close to her so soon after he revealed to her what he'd been doing. After suddenly discovering her feelings might not be her own. Surely he'd understand that. Surely.

Right?

* * *

"The curse is like a hurricane. Storybrooke is the eye of the storm, here." He touched the hand drawn illustration in the volume laid out on his desk. It did look almost exactly like the weather reports of hurricanes she'd seen on television. Except it was too perfect, too circular. Something obviously contrived, instead of by nature.

"If someone tries to leave the borders of Storybrooke, they are immediately swept up into the 'winds' surrounding the town. Everything about the storm is meant to keep anything from entering or leaving it."

"What if you could push through the storm somehow and make it out?"

"It would simply expand. Or intensify until it killed you."

"I see... great." Belle furrowed her brow. "But you said the curse was weakening."

"In a very specific manner. You, Regina and I are the center of this curse. Think of us as a triple braided rope. Three together are strong. Two will hold. But now, it's down to just Regina. And that last cord is fraying."

"And if it breaks? Wouldn't that end the curse? Wouldn't it be a good thing?"

"It would end the curse, but it wouldn't take us back home." His voice was grim.

"Oh." She blinked. "That sounds... bad. What would happen?"

"There are a few possibilities. We could be freed and left to live in this world; forever without a way of going home. The curse could revert back to it's original intention, with Regina as the key holder to it's power. Or it could simply kill all of us."

"That's cheerful. Didn't you make the curse? Why don't you know what will happen?"

"Funny thing about magic is that it has a mind of it's own. I might have made it but, like any creation, as it grows it starts to develop unique behaviors. Ideas." He shrugged, looking down at the book. "It will probably take a long time for Regina's mind to fray to that point, though. Chances are she'll continue to act out against us subconsciously until you're dead. Or I am." He said in a flat tone.

Belle's startled gaze flew to his face. "What do we do?"

"Well, we could kill her first, but that would also break the curse, with unforeseen repercussions." He straightened, sighing deeply. "I have a better plan."

"What?" she asked quietly. Her stomach was a knot of tension.

"I can work a spell to reverse the curse. Take us all back home."

Belle released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The knot in her stomach eased slightly. "That's great. What is it?"

"It's something that requires pieces of all three of us. Things from our homeland. I have both mine and yours, but as of yet I've never been able to locate Regina's." He finished quietly.

Belle's eyes flicked to the right, her mind thinking back on the things she knew he possessed that were in this world, and their original one. For her, it was the rosebush. For him... her gaze flicked back to the left, towards the door that led to the dining room: The teacup. His most important possession. She felt her stomach begin to churn again.

"What is Regina's... thing?"

"I've no idea. Theories. I knew her very well, and believe I'd know it if I saw it. We will have to search."

Belle considered this. Search for it. In all of Storybrooke, and the surrounding woods?

"Ru... have you been looking for that item all this time?"

"Nearly." Nearly. Nearly 30 years.

"And you haven't found it? What makes you think we can now?"

"With the curse weakening... maybe previously hidden things will be revealed. I hope."

"You hope?" She let a hint of incredulity slip into her voice.

"I do, dearie. I still do."

* * *

Ru led them both deep into the forest the next day. It was early morning, and there was a bite in the air as they walked down a path leading away from the road. They both wore slightly heavier jackets than usual, and Ru used his cane to knock away early morning spider webs perched across the trail.

Last night he'd shown her a map he'd set up, with pins marking each place he'd ever found an artifact. Mostly, they were scattered in the woods, so that was where they looked. The pattern he'd mapped seemed almost like they'd fallen out or been dragged haphazardly from the tempest surrounding the town, towards the center.

He refused to let her search on her own, even though they'd be able to cover far more ground, her especially since she wasn't as hindered as himself. His response was simple, and uncompromising.

"Time isn't our enemy. Regina is. If she gets to either of us, then it's over."

"Well... if she got to you. You know the spell. If she got me, you could go on alone."

"No, I couldn't."

So she walked behind him, as he slowly made his way down the narrow path. At the pace they went, at least their search would be thorough, wherever it led them.

"Where are we going?" she called after him. She let him keep a few feet ahead of her, worried she'd end up stepping on his heels otherwise. He always wore suits, even here in the forest. Now, though, he had donned athletic shoes instead of the usual loafers. They were black. At a cursory glance you could hardly tell the difference.

"About half a mile in this way is where I last left off. Seems the best place to start."

"You said that since the spell has weakened, her... treasure might turn up where it might not have before."

"Right."

"So doesn't that mean we have to look everywhere? Again?"

"Possibly. No reason not to continue on my planned course, though. We need to look in all of these places. A few acres left in this part of the land. The abandoned mines. The southern woods."

"All that? In thirty years I would have thought you'd have covered more ground."

"Well, my progress in that manner is somewhat impeded by my physical capabilities." His voice was a bit curt, and Belle immediately regretted her words. "And, I've had other things taking my time. I had no idea the need for this would be so pressing."

"I didn't mean it like that. I don't think of you as impeded."

He made no response and they walked in silence for several minutes, before he came to a stop.

"Here." He turned right, gesturing with his hand past the trees into the forest.

Belle squinted, peering through the brush. "How do we look?"

"With your eyes, dearie. If they aren't working so well, I'll go at a slow pace." He smirked. "Don't worry. I don't think of you as impeded." She gaped up at him, and he winked.

"Just look for anything out of the ordinary, that doesn't seem as though it belongs."

Belle's head ached at the thought of combing miles of forest and the days - months - that would take. "Have you thought about enlisting help to do this?"

"Besides yourself?" He glanced at her sideways. "Whom would you suggest?"

Belle shook her head. "I don't know."

"Then this is how it must be done." He bowed slightly, and spread his arm towards the forest. "After you."

She pulled her jacket more tightly around her, and stepped into the gap between the trees. Ru entered immediately behind her. Now that they were in the grasp of the trees. Belle went to the right of the path, and Ru towards the left. He made it a rule that they stay within sight distance of each other, but they were still able to cover more ground. As soon as they'd stepped away from the path, Belle lost sight of the small trail. She panicked initially, before reminding herself that her companion was well acquainted with the area.

Her eyes began scanning the forest floor. After about twenty minutes she realized she should probably make a habit of looking up as well for anything out of the ordinary. She glanced back towards the direction she had come, hoping her oversight hadn't caused her to miss anything. She noticed Ru fooling around with some sort of electronic device.

"Is that a GPS?" She asked incredulously.

"Of course. Best way to keep track of where we've been. Where we should go." He looked up, catching her expression. "What? Did you expect me to have a compass?"

"Yes, actually."

He chuckled, and returned to what he had been doing. Belle slowly turned away, her demeanor still skeptical.

_I guess an old dog can learn new tricks._

She started walking again, trying to remain alert to anything out of the ordinary. She supposed it was going to be a long and tedious day.

* * *

Belle found she was correct about the day being tedious. Each day seemed like it was trying to compete with the one before it to see which could win the Monotony Award. She also discovered that she was uniquely bad at conducting searches. She was surprised that Ru had not found more cause to yell at her, with the things she brought to him.

"I found something! What do you think?"

"It looks like a bottle cap."

"Yes... a magical bottle cap?"

"Only if you tend to be overly affected by wine coolers."

"So..."

"Trash, dearie."

* * *

"How about this?"

"That birds nest?"

"I've never seen another one like it."

"This isn't a nature hike."

"We are hiking. In nature."

"Put it back."

* * *

"Belle, did you see this heather flower?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me."

"I didn't think we were on a nature hike."

"This isn't a native plant. It could be something important."

"..."

* * *

Not only was she bad at searching, but the fact that they were doing so much walking was starting to become a serious problem for Ru. At first, Belle pretended not to notice. Men had their pride, after all. As the days wore on for them both, however, Belle felt a growing urge to try and do  _something_ to alleviate his pain. After much consideration, she voiced her thought.

"Um... Ru?" They were walking in the forest. He was examining the roots of a bush several feet away. At her voice, he looked up.

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking..." Boy had she been thinking. "Maybe you should let me do some searching on my own. Not all days. Just some." When he just looked at her, she continued. "You can teach me what to look for. I'll make more progress."

"No. Absolutely not."

She was silent for a moment, then another thought occurred to her. "Well, I know we haven't... spoken about it, but you said that you had complete control over me." She looked at him, but he had turned away, his jaw clenched. "Couldn't you use me like a puppet, or a... remote control car? Send me out, but stay in my head."

"You don't know what you're asking."

"Ru. I just want to help." She took a step towards him. "Please."

"No!" He snapped, and she flinched. "And this is the last I want to hear about it." He walked further into the forest as quickly as he was able. Away from her.

_Well, that could have gone better._

* * *

They spent a few more days searching in silence, Ru seeming to be avoiding her as much as possible while still remaining within eyesight. She finally had enough of it and just started talking to him whether he deigned to respond or not. Running out of things to say, however, it began to verge on inane chatter, and Belle wondered how he stood it. Judging by his expression at times, he was probably wondering the same thing. It was a means to an end, though, and eventually it worked.

"So, it really came down to the fact that the king was a greedy ass, and only wanted gold, gold and more gold. That's why the girl had to make the deal in the first place which was how she became a queen, which is probably why she became evil. I would too I think if I got married under those circumstances to a guy like that. I mean, the king got what was coming to him, not to mention her  _father_..."

"Belle?"

She froze, looking suddenly to Ru. "Yes?"

"Shut up." He was looking down, but she could see he was smiling. Belle happily complied.

After he broke his silence, their searching continued more or less as they started. Sometimes in conversation, sometimes in companionable silence. He continued to have trouble with his leg, however, and Belle wasn't going to drop the subject. She was just biding her time. There was no way he could do this everyday. He had to know that.

Their trips had been so fruitless – apart from the flower. So far it had been the only thing of supposed significance found, and it wasn't found by her. She was tired of this, already. Her companion didn't seem to be fazed at all, however. Each afternoon they came home he sat down with a pained expression, easing his weight off his bad leg, then focused primarily on mapping out the next day's excursion.

Tonight, Belle lay down on the couch in the living room, while Ru made the days notations and attended to what was probably business concerning his shop, in the study. She leaned back, clenching her eyes shut, hoping to fend off the headache that was threatening to start. Another day of being completely useless, and spending the day watching Ru in obvious pain. She hated seeing it, and her presence in the woods didn't help him.

If only he would let her go alone. She was going to have to bring it up again.

Belle wasn't aware of falling asleep, but suddenly she opened her eyes and Ru was standing over her.

"Hi," she mumbled groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Hey," a small smile touched the corners of his mouth.

She sat up, hugging a pillow to her chest as she shifted on the couch, making room for him to sit next to her. He sank slowly down, squeaking slightly against the leather of the couch. His arm reached out in front of him, keeping a grip on the cane that he still kept standing on the floor.

"We made good progress today."

She gave him a disbelieving glance. "We've been looking for two weeks, and  _you_  found a plant. It doesn't seem like good progress to me."

"You haven't been doing this long enough to know."

"I'm sure. In another thirty years, I'll be a veteran. If I'm not dead." His eyes narrowed, but he didn't reply.

"Ru..." She took his hand in hers "Let me look on my own."

He snatched his hand away. "No. I told you that conversation was over."

"You said yourself magic was unpredictable. You might think we have time, but how do you know for certain?" She snapped. He moved to get up, but flinched, his hand going to his bad leg.

"And look at what it's doing to you." her voice was softer now. "I hate seeing you like this." She bit her lip, considering her next words "You said we might be in danger now, but... you sensed it before. Couldn't you warn me again if something happened?"

"I sensed that you were in distress." He bit out. "It was only luck and fast acting that kept you from serious harm."

"Then Control me while I go search."

He stood up from the couch, pushing himself away and taking a few steps, keeping his back to her as he leaned against his cane. "I gave you my answer."

"I'm willing to do it. I trust you, Ru."

He turned towards her then, his eyes piercing. "Do you?" His voice was soft, with a dangerous edge.

She swallowed. "Yes."

"Do you even know what a thing it is, to give up free will? People have fought and died for it. Gods have cursed civilizations with it. I've seen more in my years than you can comprehend, and I tell you this isn't a decision to be made lightly."

She blinked at his intensity, but remained resolute. "I've already made it."

He moved towards her, so that he only stood about a foot away, looking down.

"Very well. Get on your knees." His voice was velvety, and full of command. Without any conscious control on her part, she felt her body move off the couch, and she knelt before him. She paled, and looked up at him. What was he doing?

"Unbutton your shirt." Another command. Her fingers went to her blouse, and began to unfasten it. Their movements were sure, and didn't fumble. Belle wouldn't have done such a good job, herself. She opened her shirt completely, leaving the laced white bra she'd donned early this morning bare to his gaze. She flushed deeply with embarrassment. This is not where she thought this conversation would have led.

Casually, Ru lowered himself onto his good knee, halfway kneeling before her so that she still had to look up to meet his gaze. He placed one hand against her face.

"Kiss me." He bid. She turned her head and pressed her mouth against his wrist. It was the closest thing her body, so desperate to obey, could reach. Her lips pressed against his jacket, trailing their way up his arm. Reaching his shoulder, she grasped the lapels on his coat to steady herself, and heard his sharply indrawn breath.

It was strange, and shocking, to feel herself do this. She felt like she was trapped in her own body, as some stranger moved to kiss Ru on his chest. Up his neck. His hand was now grasping her hair tightly, and he turned her face up towards him. He looked down at her for a moment, his face full of hunger and desperation. Leaning forward suddenly, he claimed her mouth in a harsh kiss. She could feel it bruising her, could feel his hands pulling hard against her hair. After another moment Ru stopped, and pulled her forward, whispering in her ear.

"Is this what you want, Belle? Because I can make it be."

At that moment she felt a heat build inside her. She couldn't really recall what she'd been thinking about a moment ago, because now the only thing that mattered was  _him_ , there in front of her, waiting. She attacked his body with renewed fervor, sliding her hands under his suit jacket, she went to unbutton his shirt. She needed to feel his skin against hers. More than anything. She tugged his shirt loose from his pants, and could hear him groan.

"I could use you like this, and make you forget all about it." His hand combed through her hair and brushed her neck.

"Yes. Please." She didn't know what he was talking about, but anything he wanted she would agree to. She reached for his belt.

"Stop," the voice was gruff, and strained, but still... an order. Her hands stilled. Another moment, and she came back to herself. Her eyes widened, and she backed away from him. She felt cold.

He was breathing heavily, not looking at her. She watched as he struggled with his cane to stand again. He took a moment to straighten his jacket, as though he was about to go into a business meeting, instead of having just been close to screwing her on the living room floor.

"So then, you understand the... nature of this magic. I imagine you'll be able to make a more informed decision." His voice was low. He turned away, never meeting her eyes.

"Now get out."

She looked down, pulling her shirt closed as she stood up, and left the room without a word.


	7. Chapter 7

Belle had spent all night and the majority of the morning in her bedroom. It was now just before noon. She was afraid to go downstairs. Afraid to see  _him._

She sat curled up in a chair by the window, knees to her chest, looking out into the front yard. She was still in shock over what happened last night. She let her face fall forward onto her knees.

Where did that reaction come from? She thought they'd been discussing things sensibly, and then he just...snapped. Belle lifted her head again, pulling her knees closer to her chest. Thinking about it turned her stomach into a knot of apprehension. She hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon, and probably couldn't if she tried.

He had told her to leave, and she didn't know what his reaction would be to seeing her again. She didn't know what her's would be. He was obviously mad, for whatever reason, and she... she  _should_ be livid. The only problem was that anxiety wasn't the only thing thinking about last night made her feel.

She blushed as she recalled her hands on him. His mouth on hers. The look in his eyes as he told her to kiss him.

She shook her head in an outward effort to push away those thoughts. She should show him that he had crossed the line. That he couldn't do things like that to her.

Except he could. That's what that little demonstration was all about, wasn't it?

The thing was, she knew him well enough to know that he was trying hard to push her away. She shouldn't let him, but everything about that confrontation left her feeling confused. Conflicted. Afraid. No matter what he did, though, she knew now she couldn't let him go.

She loved him.

She had for a long time. Before they came to Storybrooke. The problem with love, though, was that feeling it and admitting to it weren't always the same process.

She heard the front door open and close. Looking out the window, she saw Ru limp towards his car. Her eyes widened. He'd been so adamant about not being apart. Where was he going?

When he got to his car door, he paused, and looked up at her window. She instinctively shifted away from the glass. He continued getting into his car. After a moment, he started the engine and drove off.

She jumped out of her seat and left her room, rushing down the stairs. She took long strides towards the front door, and pulled on the handle. Locked. Belle sighed. She should have known. As she turned away, a note on the table in the hall caught her eye. It was weighed down by a small and ancient looking key. She picked it up, turning it over in her hand. A house key? She opened the note.

_Belle,_

_I've been considering your proposal to find someone else to help with the search. I believe I know of someone qualified, and am going into town to enlist her services._

Her? Belle felt a pang of jealousy.

_I don't know how long I will be gone, so I am leaving you a key, in case for some reason you must leave. I urge you not to. The house should be safe against harm._

_R. Gold_

Two more words were printed below the signature, like an afterthought.

_I'm sorry._

She gripped the letter in her hands, tempted to tear it in two. He was going to meet with another woman, and he was sorry he kissed her. She took a deep, steadying breath and told herself she was being childish. She smoothed out the letter and placed it back on the table, with the key on top, and went into the kitchen. Maybe if she spent a little time putting together a meal, she would feel like eating it by the time it was ready.

* * *

After about an hour, lunch... or dinner was well on it's way to being prepared. Without thinking, Belle had made enough for more than one, even though she didn't know if Ru was going to be coming back anytime soon. There was always the option of putting it away for leftovers, but... Belle stopped to consider. Maybe she could invite her father over to share it. He'd been calling her daily since the day of the accident. She's successfully fielded his questions, but she could tell he wasn't satisfied with just talking. He wanted to see in person if she was alright. If she invited him here, that would lead to many more explanations. Explanations she would have to make eventually, though. She picked up the phone to call him.

He answered after a few rings. "Hello? Belle?"

She smiled into the phone. "Hey, dad."

"I've been doing the calling, lately. What's the occasion?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to come over and have lunch? I made chicken a l'orange. Your favorite."

"That sounds wonderful. I'm glad you're feeling well enough to cook. You must be getting better. I'll be over in half an hour."

"That's great. And... dad?" She look a deep breath. "I'm not at my apartment."

"Oh. Do you want me to wait and give you time to get there?"

"No dad. I'm at Mr. Gold's house." Silence.

She chewed her bottom lip. "He won't be here." Still no reply. "Do you need directions?"

"I know where it is."

"Dad..."

"Don't you think you're moving a little fast, Belle? I know you went through a traumatic thing, but this..."

"The accident doesn't have anything to do with it." she lied. "I told you we were dating."

"Yes, but does that mean you have to spend every waking moment with him? Don't tell me you're living with him?" He sounded on the verge of disgust.

"...he has a better kitchen."

She could hear a sigh come through the phone. "I'll be half an hour," and he hung up.

Belle put the phone down. She hadn't asked Ru about inviting her dad over. She didn't know how he would feel about the man being in his house, but he wasn't giving her much of a choice. If he didn't want her leaving, then she'd have to let him come here to see him. He couldn't honestly expect her to never see her father again without his supervision. Her expression determined, she finished preparing the food, and set the table. Shortly after she was finished, she heard the doorbell ring.

Taking the key off the table, she inserted it into the lock, and pulled the door open to see her dad waiting. She smiled as she let him pull her into a hug.

"I'm glad you're ok." He stepped inside, pulling his coat off. It had gotten colder outside, lately. Winter was coming. She supposed it was good Ru was finding help now to look for Regina's artifact. Belle was sure a change in seasons wouldn't make traipsing around in the woods any more enjoyable.

Belle led her father to the smaller, more intimate table in the kitchen instead of the main dining room. They both sat and she took a plate, filling it and placing it in front of him.

"This is...nice. I haven't had this kind of cooking since you moved out. Your mother used to make it for me, too..." he trailed off. Mention of the woman long dead always caused Mr. French to pause, even after all these years. Belle didn't have many memories of her mother, but she always enjoyed cooking french food. She reached over to take her father's hand in her own, and he squeezed it tightly.

He took a deep breath. "So, do you do much cooking for Mr. Gold?" She could tell he was trying to be amiable, but a note of anger crept into his voice. In his mind, he was losing the only family he had left.

"Once or twice." Belle took a bite of her food. "Nothing from the fatherland, yet." She smiled at him, and the bitter expression haltingly melted into a smile of his own.

They ate slowly, talking of nothing particularly important. He didn't seem keen on discussing anything more on the subject of Mr. Gold, and it was enough just to be in each others company for the moment.

Just as Belle was beginning to wonder if they should linger any longer, she heard the door open, and the uneven gait of Ru walking towards the kitchen. She tensed, her guilty gaze going to the doorway where she knew he would appear. When he did, she looked to her dad, who wore a determined expression on his face as he stood and walked over to the man who's kitchen he was now occupying.

"Mr. Gold." He thrust his hand forward, his motion making it look like it was an uncomfortable thing to do.

Ru glanced down at the proffered appendage and then back up to meet Mr. French's gaze. He raised an eyebrow, then took his hand, shaking it once, firmly.

"Mr. French." His gaze slid over to Belle, still sitting at the table, fidgeting nervously with her fingers. "Welcome to our home."

She could see her father tense at the use of the word "our". His gaze sharpened as he regarded Ru, who in turn looked rather blasé.

"I'll admit that I'm an old fashioned man. I can't say I approve of two unmarried people living under the same roof."

"Indeed."

"However, my daughter has seemed happier since she told me she was with you than I've seen her for a long time. And that's the most important thing." He cleared his throat, as though clearing the remnants of the awkward words from it.

"I see." Ru looked over at Belle again, who could feel the blood rushing to the surface of her skin. She hadn't mentioned her previous conversation with her father to Ru, yet.

"Just don't hurt her, old man. You'll have me to deal with."

Ru rested both hands on his cane in front of him, regarding the taller man for a moment. He inclined his head slightly. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Well... then. I'll be going." Mr. French shifted, as though unsure of what to do next. He glanced past Ru, who was blocking the exit from the kitchen, and back to Belle, still sitting wide eyed at the table.

"Belle." He nodded towards her, "I will see you later. More often, I hope." Belle nodded her assent. "...I love you." He turned back towards Ru.

"Mr. Gold."

"Yes?" Ru quirked an eyebrow in amusement, as though expecting a similar endearment.

"I...need to get past."

"Certainly." He moved aside. "It was a pleasure to see you again, Mr. French."

"Likewise." He walked past the other man, looking slightly addled by the entire conversation. After a moment Belle heard the front door open and close once again.

She and Ru stood in the kitchen for a minute, not quite looking at each other. It was finally Belle that broke the silence.

"Where did you go?"

He took a breath. "Into town. Granny's Diner. I think Ruby should be able to help us locate the item we are looking for."

"Ruby?" Belle furrowed her brow.

"Yes." He turned around, walking out of the kitchen. As he did, he said over his shoulder. "She used to be a werewolf, you know." Then disappeared around the corner, leaving Belle sputtering.

She got up, following Ru to his study. "What do you mean she used to be a werewolf?"

"In the other world. It makes her an excellent tracker." He sat down, sighing. "She's unaware of the fact. It took a little convincing to make her accept the job."

Belle crept cautiously into the room, her hand on the door frame. "What did you tell her?"

"That if she helped us, and was discreet about it, there would be considerable monetary compensation."

"Ingenious." Ru glanced up at her, and Belle kept her expression carefully blank. He grunted and turned away. "You know, Ruby isn't exactly known for her discretion."

"I'm aware of her reputation. It won't be a problem." He sounded sure. Belle felt the pang of jealousy from earlier resurface. Ru began shifting through some of the books that constantly covered his desk now. Belle chewed on her lip, considering her next words. She took a deep breath.

"I know why you did that to me last night."

He paused in his motion, not looking up at her. He seemed to be waiting for her to continue.

"You're trying to push me away. I know you well enough to see that...but it isn't going to work. I'm not afraid of you."

He turned to look at her. "No?" His voice sounded lightly curious, but his eyes were dark.

She swallowed. "I know you won't hurt me. You haven't yet, so I don't know what you're trying to prove."

"I'm  _trying_ ," he emphasized "to give you a chance to walk away from this."

"From what? From you?"

"From a life of imprisonment, Belle. A life that isn't your own." He turned his chair to regard her. "I'm not a well liked man, even in this world with all my leverage gone. My teeth dulled. In our world, you know I'm hated. If you stay with me no one will want anything to do with you. They'll be too afraid. Including that man you've just begun mending your relationship with." He gestured with one hand towards the door.

"I made that choice when I first came with you."

"Well, now I'm letting you unmake it."

Belle sucked in a slight breath, taken aback. "Why?"

Brushing his hair away from his face, he stood. "I know these past thirty years for you have passed like a dream, trapped in the same fog as everyone. For me, though, I've lived every moment. Not that it was much of a burden. I've been around for much longer than that." He paused for a moment, looking away. "Do you know how old I am, Belle?"

"No, you haven't been very forthcoming."

"I'm old enough that my name is part of the folklore of our home. Centuries. So much longer than the lifetime of one small girl." He was closer to her now, looking at her intently.

"What is your point?"

"There's no future for us, Belle. You should go home. Get married and have children. That way some part of you will live forever, too." He touched her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek.

They stood there for a minute, just looking at each other. Belle tilted her head, and leaned forward to kiss him, her hand reaching towards his face. She heard his indrawn breath, before he backed away, putting a few feet of space between them.

"I have work to do. Ruby will be over in the morning and we will start looking again. For now, I need to concentrate. Alone." he specified when Belle didn't move.

Belle's clenched the hand she'd been reaching out with into a fist. She was unsure of whether to leave, or force him into talking. Finally, she bowed quietly out of the room and closed the door behind her.


	8. Chapter 8

Ruby arrived about noon the next day. Belle answered the door, and she wasn't sure what exactly she'd been expecting - especially in this weather - but the girl was clothed much more modestly than she usually was at the diner, albeit still in red. Belle supposed she dressed that way mostly for tips, after all.

Ru walked up behind Belle. "Ruby. You were supposed to be here two hours ago."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Late night. Our last customer didn't leave till one in the morning." She walked in, past the two of them, without being invited. She peered curiously at the surroundings, picking up a coin perched on a stand on the wall.

Ru, clearly annoyed but trying to control his temper, plucked the coin out of her hand and placed it back on its stand. "We have less time in the day, now. We really ought to get started."

She turned around to face him, seemingly unconcerned about his reaction to her disrupting his possessions. "Great. What do you want me to do?"

Without a word, he disappeared from the room. Ruby looked at Belle, her expression confused. Belle shrugged. She had no idea what he was up to. After a moment he returned however, saving her from speculation. He had a scarf clasped in his hand. He held it out to Ruby, who took it with only slight hesitation.

"Nice scarf." She held it up to the light, examining the pattern. Belle could see the fabric shimmer. "Where'd you get it?"

Ru ignored her question. "I'd like you to spend a bit of time studying this. It belongs to the same person whos lost item we are searching for. It may help."

Ruby turned the scarf over in her hands. "So what, you think I'm some sort of psychic? Think I'll get a kind of sixth sense lead off of this?"

"Something like that."

"Whatever. As long as you're paying." Ruby sighed, running her hand over the fabric. Belle and Ru just stood there, watching her.

She looked up, her eyes shifting between the two of them. "It's weird with you just staring at me."

Belle shook her head. "Sorry, Ruby. This is just... odd for me. I'm not sure what is supposed to happen."

"Make that two of us."

Belle smiled at the other girl. "Would you like me to get you something to drink? Eat?"

"Sure." Ruby smiled at Belle, sparing a glance towards Ru. Belle took her hand and led her back to the kitchen. She put a kettle on the stove, to heat water for tea, while Ruby sat down and continued to examine the scarf.

After a minute, Ru appeared in the room, wielding a map. He walked over to the table where Ruby was sitting, and spread it over the top, pushing her out of the way.

"Hey!" She snapped, scooting back. Ru ignored her and took a few cups from the cabinet, using them to weigh down the corners of the map. He pointed to the depiction of the woods Belle and he had been exploring.

"This is where we have been looking. We can start there, then move to this area." He pointed further to the south. Ruby stood, moving the map towards her slightly. She peered down at it.

"No. We should go here." She tapped on a section off to the right.

"The mines?"

"Yes. It's just... a feeling."

Ru studied her for a moment, his head sideways, then he nodded. "Alright. The mines, then."

Belle joined the two of them at the table, a cup of tea clasped in each hand. They each accepted one. "Isn't that dangerous? They've been closed for years."

"Yes, and for good reason. It's why I haven't been." He tapped his injured leg. "That makes it the perfect place for something of her's to be hidden."

Ruby looked from one of them to the other. "Is this all on the legal side? Are we finding something, or stealing it?"

"I'm paying for your discretion for a reason, dearie. If you've changed your mind, I'm sure we can find someone else." Belle couldn't tell if he was bluffing.

"No, no. It's fine. They can't want it too badly if they tossed it down a mine shaft, right?" She finished brightly.

"Well then, let's get started."

* * *

Ruby turned out to be quite a fast walker, her steps determined. It was almost as though she had found the scent of something. Belle found herself wishing she could keep her on a leash. She spent most of the time running between the girl, to keep track of the direction she was heading, and Ru, who couldn't keep pace with either of them.

Belle was impressed by the surety of her steps. A few times Ruby turned back and led them away from the path she'd chosen, but their speed of progress was so much faster than what it had been, Belle couldn't help but marvel. She asked Ru why he hadn't enlisted the girl's help before.

"I was in no hurry to start a discreet business relationship with a waitress." His words were cruel, but Belle felt oddly relieved by them. She'd never in her life had much cause to be jealous, and found she didn't enjoy the feeling at all.

Once they had found the clearing where the main entrances to the mines were centered, Belle made more of a point to stay by Ru's side. The ground was uneven, and there were nothing in line of sight to keep them from taking note of Ruby's position. She seemed to be wandering back and forth between piles of dirt. Pacing. Searching.

Finally, she came to a stop at one of them, and looked down. The slight hill of earth concealed an opening from sight at a distance, but as Belle and Ru approached they could see it come into view.

Ruby looked down the hole and let out a low whistle. "I don't know about this. I think there is something down there... but that's a steep drop. You can't pay me to go down there." She looked over at Ru, who was about to open his mouth and respond.

"I'll go." Belle said. Ru shifted his gaze over to her.

"Like Hell." He bit out.

"We can't ask Ruby to do this. And you certainly can't." She glanced pointedly to his cane, which he tightened his grip on, his expression bitter. She stepped over to him, putting both her hands on the sides of his face.

"Listen." she said, looking pointedly into his eyes. "If anything happens, you just Come and Get Me." She put an emphasis on the words, and he took her meaning.

"Belle..." he looked pained.

"We can't risk letting anyone else do this, and you know it. I'll be fine."

Ruby's voice carried from a few yards away. "There can't be anything down there that is worth this."

Belle turned away from Ru towards her. "It's very important. Do you think you could help hold the line, Ruby?"

The girl chewed on her bottom lip, looking unsure. "I don't like the idea of you doing this either, Anna."

"I'll be fine. Lower me down, I'll look around a bit, then you can pull me right back out the top. I won't venture down any tunnels."

"Ok..." Ruby still sounded uncertain.

Belle was more than uncertain. She was terrified, and trying desperately not to show it. She couldn't, in all good consciousness though, ask anyone else to do this.

Ru shrugged a backpack he'd been carrying off his shoulders. Slowly, he unzipped it, and pulled a harness, rope, and various clips and rings. Rappelling supplies. He'd been prepared for this eventuality. Belle studied the supplies he'd laid out, then looked back up to meet his eyes. She hoped he knew how to use them, because she sure didn't.

It took them nearly half an hour to set up the rigging to lower her down. They shown a flashlight down the hole, and lowered a rope with a weight attached. There seemed to be at least a partially clear path to the bottom. Ru helped to strap her into the harness, his hands checking each buckle half a dozen times, and lingering on her body longer than they needed to. He didn't raise his gaze to meet hers until he was finished.

"I'll be fine." She said once again, and smiled with a confidence she did not feel. Ru took a deep breath, and lead her over to the lip of the cavern.

"Now, remember not to lean back too far on your way down, there is too much rubble down there. And if you need to stop, wrap the rope from your brake hand around your leg several times. Go slowly."

Belle nodded, taking the devices from Ru's hand. She also had a flashlight, knife, and a bag strapped to her in case this trip happened to be successful.

She leaned forward slightly, whispering. "And what am I looking for?"

He shrugged. "Unfortunately I can't say for certain. Just take note of whatever you see, and shout it back up. Your voice should carry quite well to us." She nodded.

She donned a helmet, and Ruby stood by, looking as though she were having second thoughts about the entire operation. Belle was right there with her. The pins were in the ground, and all safety measures in place. The only thing left to do was jump.

Belle turned, her back towards the opening, and faced Ru. She smiled encouragingly, and stepped backwards.

The experience of going down the mine shaft was much slower than she would have initially thought. Her brake gave her complete control over the speed of her descent, and the opportunity to avoid obstacles. In one place, a decaying wooden support pillar was half blocking the path, and Belle had to squeeze around it, pushing it partially out of the way. Finally, she came to a spot where her feet were dangling only a few feet above the debris collected at the bottom. Her helmet had it's own light, but Belle brought out her smaller one and shone it downward, and around.

"Are you alright?" She could hear Ruby's voice shouting from distantly above.

"Yeah. I'm near the bottom. Just looking around." She called back.

"See anything?"

"Give me a minute."

The gloom was thick at the bottom of the shaft, and her encounter with some of the obstacles on the way down had stirred up dust and dirt that made it even more difficult to see. When she shone her flashlight down, however, it was reflected back up at her.

"What the...?" She held the light at an angle. She could see what looked like... shards of a mirror scattered around at the bottom. She released her brake a few seconds more, and her feet were touching the bottom, carefully avoiding the mirror pieces.

It seemed as though it was dropped down here recently. The mirror was not covered in the scum of rain and refuse that everything else down here was. The frame however... was tarnished and dirty and did seem as though it had seen it's share of weathering. Opening her bag, she cautiously picked up the shards and dropped them inside, careful not to cut herself on the edges.

"Belle?" Ru's voice this time.

"I think I've found..." the last of her words were drown out by the sound of something large cracking. Belle looked up, eyes wide, to see the support beam she'd pushed her way past earlier falling straight at her in the light of her head lamp.

_~"Belle!"~_

For the third time in her life, Belle felt the warm control that she knew to be Ru take control of her limbs. Deftly, her body pulled itself out of the way, just in time for her to see the end of the large bough crash where she'd been a moment before. Unfortunately, even with Ru's help, she wasn't able to make it completely unscathed. The other end of the pillar landed at an angle against the wall, with her arm underneath. She would have cried out, but her mouth was still not her own.

"Anna!" She could hear Ruby screaming. She didn't hear Ru calling to her from above, but then he was much closer than that.

_~"Move the support. You can do it, Belle."~_

With a strength she wouldn't possess under normal circumstances, Belle used her good hand to push the offending beam off her limb. She then scrambled closer to the edge of the wall from which she had descended and re-secured herself to the rope, wrapping it around her legs. After a moment she could feel the cord become tense, and herself being hauled back towards the top. With the pillar out of the way, the passage was empty, and it was only a few minutes before she was blinking the sunlight out of her eyes. Her body reached out, using it's good hand to help Ruby pull her clear of the lip. Only at that moment did she feel control return to her.

Belle drew in several deep breaths, coughing. The disembodied feeling of Ru inside her was gone, leaving only a rapid heartbeat and the rush of adrenaline.

"Oh, God, Anna. Are you ok?" Ruby was kneeling in the dirt, leaning over her. Belle wordlessly turned her head to look at her left arm, which was coated in blood as well as the dirt that covered the rest of her. In a moment, Ru was kneeling by her as well, pulling her hand into his lap, running his hands over her fingers, down her wrist and to her elbow. She flinched. It was probably broken.

Belle coughed again, and pushed herself up, suddenly anxious to make sure the shards of mirror she found at the bottom had made it up without being smashed into even more pieces. Trembling, she reached out with her good hand to the bag, and unzipped it. Ru moved to complete the process for her, and paused when it was completely open. Belle looked up at his face, and though he still looked a bit haggard due to their ordeal, she could see a shrewdness in his eyes.

"This is it."

She let out a breath, leaning back again to rest against the earth. Ruby moved forward, peering at the contents of the sack.

"All of that for a broken mirror?" Her disbelieving gaze went from Belle's prone form to Ru's face.

"Yes." He answered quietly. "And we trust you to keep this little trip to yourself." Belle could hear the threat laced into his words. "Now be a dear and help me get her back to the car."

* * *

Belle was lucky it wasn't a leg that had been hurt. She could walk perfectly well and it didn't take much time to get back to the car. Once they made it home, Belle went upstairs to shower while Ru paid the waitress/tracker whatever their agreed upon amount was, and sent her on her way. They were going to the hospital to get help with her arm, but it wouldn't due for her to be covered in grime when arriving there. It would raise too many questions.

They ended up spending a few hours at the hospital. She choose not to call her father. She didn't need to worry about a confrontation between him and Ru concerning her safety. If he found out about it... well, the official story was that she'd simply tripped while coming down the stairs. Cliche. Believable.

Luckily, after an x-ray and a long time spent with Ru waiting in a room, Belle was told her arm was just partially fractured, instead of completely broken. It didn't even need to be cast, but she was told a sling would probably be in order.

During their wait, Belle asked why he couldn't just heal her arm completely. After all, he had commanded her body in other ways. His somewhat crypt reply was that doing so was rather more complicated than simply controlling what she felt, or what she did. He could remove the pain, but nothing more. Too tired to question further, Belle accepted this.

While he was irritable on the drive home, annoyed with the wait at the hospital, he was also oddly calm. Belle could only attribute this to the fact that they finally had the item that they'd been looking for. She assumed that was all they needed to put into effect his plan to take them back home.

"Do you really think Ruby won't tell anyone about today?"

Ru's eyes flicked to hers, then back to the road. "She won't need to keep it a secret for long."

"What is that mirror to Regina?"

"It's one of her main sources of power. Remember how I kept all the mirrors covered in the castle?" Belle nodded. "She could see through them. They were her eyes."

Belle shivered, imagining that every time she studied her reflection in a mirror, someone was on the other side, doing the same.

"What now?"

"I'll create another spell."

"How?"

He looked at her again, slightly longer this time before turning back. "You can watch if you like."

She hesitated a moment, surprised at the offer. He had not been very forthcoming about most of the research into breaking the curse that he'd done up to this point.

"Yes, please." She paused "When?"

"Tomorrow."

* * *

"This won't actually take us back home. It's simply forming the path. We still have to walk down it. The spell must be cast."

They were in his study. The rug that had been previously covering the hard wood floor was rolled up, tucked in a corner. Ru had spent several hours, with her help, painstakingly carving symbols into the wood, in a circle. She wasn't able to do much with only one fully functioning arm, but she'd begged to be at least some help, after seeing him kneeling painfully. He directed her, scolding her harshly once or twice in the beginning when she did it wrong. Afterward she'd been more careful. There would be no second chances to do this right.

They had a small table in the center, set with a bit of parchment, an empty bowl, a small knife (Belle tried not think too hard about what it's use was) and oddly, a quill. Laid out around the table in a triangular pattern were three precious items. The shards of the mirror they found, The chipped teacup from Ru's cupboard, and finally - a single rose from the bush in the woods, sitting in a slender vase and covered with a dome of glass.

Ru stood back, studying the set up for a few minutes. Finally, he took a deep breath. "Alright. It's time. I'll need you to stand over there." He gestured to the furthest edge of the room, far outside the circle. Belle obediently made her way over to that section of the wall, and turned to face him again.

He stood in the circle, his eyes closed, hands gripped against the sides of the table. He was murmuring words under his breath, but they were either too quiet or too unintelligible for her to make out. They probably weren't even English. Visually, nothing seemed to be happening, but Belle could sense a heaviness grow in the air as Rumplestiltskin spoke the ancient words.

She let out a gasp as suddenly a blue fire began to consume the artifacts surrounding Ru. Frantically, she looked to the floor, worried it would also begin burning, but the fire only touched the three items. Almost as soon as the fire ignited, it went out, leaving nothing but ash in place of what had been. Ru opened his eyes, picking up the knife and bowl. He went to each pile of ash, and painstakingly scooped it into the bowl using the edge of the knife.

He mixed the ashes in the bowl, then rolled up his sleeve. Before Belle could question it, he made a quick slash across his arm, letting the blood drip down into the bowl. He continued to stir it with the knife, until a black viscous fluid formed. He placed the knife off to the side, then picked up the quill and dipped it in the liquid. He began to write on the parchment, using a script Belle didn't recognize. The letters glowed brightly before burning themselves into the paper, and fading to black.

Ru held the narrow sheet for a moment, just looking down at it. Belle wanted to ask him if it was finished, but was afraid to interrupt. He smoothed his hand over the paper, and it shimmered slightly. He turned to her.

"It's finished."

Belle let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She spared a glance to the place where Ru's teacup had been, and she frowned. His eyes followed hers to the now empty spot on the floor.

"It was a necessary sacrifice."

Belle searched his face, looking for some sort of double meaning to his words, but his expression was carefully blank.

She remembered, though. If going back home was anything like coming to Storybrooke in the first place, it was going to take more than this.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, this is kinda my first attempt at a love scene. I edited and re-edited, and in the end thought it was passable, but I don't love it. Please be gentle with me.

Once Ru had completed making the spell, he placed it in a small box, which he proceeded to lock in his desk using another ancient looking key, similar to the one that worked on his house.

He was amiable after the ceremony, and even suggested they have something special for dinner in celebration. However, Belle couldn't help but think there was much going unsaid. He was being... too nice.

She'd been thinking about what he said. About choosing him over her family, her friends. Everyone else.

She'd enjoyed being close to her father, again. However, children always left their parents eventually. It was the natural order of things. The idea of staying with him - marrying Gaston or someone similar - was not a tempting thought. In fact, it caused her pain, the thought of being separated from Ru. He was possessive, ornery, mysterious, and oh so clever. And hers. He was pushing her away, but she didn't want to let him go.

She'd made up her mind to confront him about it today. In too short a time, there may no longer be a chance.

She entered the kitchen. His back was to her, searching through the cupboards for ingredients to the dinner he was going to prepare. Such a nice thing to do.

"Ru."

He turned towards her, offering a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Belle. I'm going to make dinner. Does sushi sound good?"

"I'd like to talk to you."

He lowered his arms away from the shelves in front of him, his face inscrutable. "About what?" He made his voice sound blithe, but she wasn't fooled.

"You told me yesterday that we had no future together. That if I chose to be with you, no one else would want me."

He nodded imperceptibly, waiting for her to continue.

She took a breath. "I want you to know that it doesn't matter to me. I want to go with you...be with you. That's my choice." She chewed her bottom lip, waiting for him to respond.

His eyes flashed, and he blew the air out of his lungs. "You don't know what you're talking about." He slammed one of the cupboard doors angrily, and she flinched.

"I'd like to think I do know what I'm talking about." She felt perturbed. "I already went with you once. I know what life I'm choosing."

"Oh? Your life? And have you given thought to anyone else's? To mine? You're a liability to me, dearie. I seem to care just a little too much if you get hurt."

Belle sucked in her breath, but pressed on. "So you're going to make me leave? Think that I'll be safer somewhere else besides with the most powerful magician in folklore? Will you worry less if you can't see that I'm in danger?" she challenged.

He hissed a breath out between his teeth. "You're a fool. If you stay with me, you'll die childless and alone. Then, you'll just be gone. No legacy, no one to remember you except the twisted imp that makes shady deals."

"Well, that's another way to gain immortality," she whispered softly.

He turned away, bracing both arms against the counter. "Do you know what it was like, for thirty years, to be near you - not sure if you'd remember from one day to the next the relationship we would start to build? We must have begun one a hundred times. You have no idea how tempted I was to use the control I had over you during those years to bring you to me." He clenched his fist, and looked down. "But it wouldn't have been you, Belle. And I wanted you. Without any control. Without any pretense. I wanted you to come to me. And it wasn't going to happen."

Her eyes were wide as she studied his profile. "I'm here now."

He turned around, his eyes conflicted. "It's too late."

She stomped her foot. He looked down in surprise. "Why? Why is it too late? I'm here. You're here."

Impulsively, she stepped forward, wrapping her hand around his neck and twining it in his hair. She pulled him forward, pressing her lips against his. He tensed in her embrace, but his hands went to her arms. She lowered her arm to wrap around his lower back, pressing herself full length against him. After a moment, she pulled away, looking at him.

Ru stared down at her, then he closed his eyes, and she could see the battle he was waging with himself play across his face. His grip on her arms tightened. Finally, his expression smoothed, his grip relaxed, and Belle knew that when he opened his eyes, she would see her answer in them.

_Please, God._

He opened his eyes. The expression in them was dark, and predatory. And surrendered, as though he'd given up against something he'd been fighting for a long time.

"You're sure this is what you want, Belle?" He asked quietly. She nodded.

Hands still on her arms, his grip softer on the sling wrapped one, he shifted so her back was pressed against the wall. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against her jaw, and trailed kisses down her neck. He lifted his lips slightly away from her.

"Tell me you want me."

Belle exhaled, shivering. "I want you."

Ru let out a small moan in a breath against her throat, and continued to kiss down her neck, and to her shoulder.

"Tell me you'll leave everything, everyone you love, and stay with me."

Twining her hand in his hair once again, Belle lifted her eyes to the ceiling. Ru continued kissing her shoulder, then across her lower neck to the opposite side. She felt his thumb ghosting across the surface of her sling, and could feel the heat of his hand through it.

"I will." Her voice came out a whisper.

His lips lowered slightly, and came to rest over her heart.

"Forever." He murmured. She could feel his mouth move against her through the dress.

She nodded her head, but he couldn't see. "Forever."

He moaned again, his grip tightening on her good arm. Shifting his stance, he placed one knee between hers, keeping the weight off of his bad leg as he leaned into her. One arm wrapped around her lower back, pulling her slightly away from the wall to press against him. Lifting his head, Ru brought his face up to hers, their foreheads nearly touching. His eyes were closed and he sighed against her, his breath warm.

Reaching her arm up, she pressed it against his chest, fingers going to his tie. She tugged at it a bit, then let out a frustrated sigh as her one handed efforts proved fruitless. Chuckling, he reached for the Windsor knot himself, expertly loosening it. When it was undone, he jerked it free and dropped it to the ground, his eyes on her.

Belle's hand then went to the buttons on his shirt. Struggling to open the fastenings as much as she did with the tie, he again reached to help her. Their hands worked together, and his shirt draped open as the line of buttons were slowly undone. Belle pressed her palm against his ribs and felt the rise of his chest as he drew in a shaky breath. His thumb rubbed over her collarbone, the roughness of it's calloused surface causing her skin to break out into goosebumps.

He leaned away from her suddenly, shrugging out of his jacket and dropping it to the floor on top of his tie. Lowering her hand, Belle tugged part of his shirt free of his pants. Ru pulled the other side loose, then wrapped his hand behind her, pressing himself against her again. She whimpered as he did so, and he pressed his cheek against hers.

"Lie down on the floor. It will be easier for me." His voice was a whisper in her ear, and she gave a slight nod.

Ru wrapped his hand around hers, claiming her lips in a kiss. As he knelt, he pulled her with him, until she was prone on the ground, him over her, balanced on one arm. He ran a hand through her hair, giving her another thorough kiss.

Reaching down, Ru grasped her dress, pulling it up towards her hip. Belle drew in her breath, her eyes not leaving his as he slid his hand up the outside of her leg, dragging the dress with it. He slid his hand to her inner thigh and Belle moved her legs apart to give him access, her heart beating wildly.

Gaze piercing, Ru lowered his head again to kiss her, as his fingers pushed aside the material of her underwear. Belle's hand tightened around the arm he had braced against the ground next to her as his finger entered her, rubbing against her most sensitive area. Moaning against his mouth, she arched her neck back, breaking lip contact with him. He lowered his head to her throat again, moving his lips along her skin more aggressively now, as his fingers curled and moved faster inside her.

Belle gasped aloud, calling his name. She moved her hand up to his shoulder, her nails digging into it. He groaned low in his throat, and slid his fingers out of her, pulling her underwear down her legs to her knees. Belle wiggled her legs, shimmying the garment completely off. Ru leaned up onto both arms, placing his hips firmly between hers. Belle bit her lip. She could feel his arousal pressing against her through the material of his pants. He ground down against her, drawing a moan from both of them.

Ru's leg may have been weak, but by compensation his arms were strong. He again balanced on one hand as he reached down to unfasten the button on his pants, pulling the zipper down. Moving slightly, he released himself from the constraints of the garment. Moments later, Belle could feel him pressed against her, and she froze at the unaccustomed hardness. He settled himself over her again, looking into her eyes, his hair brushing her face.

"Relax, love."

She let a breath out, and nodded, looking into Ru's eyes with a trusting gaze. Slowly, she could feel him pressing himself inside her. His breath was hot against her cheek, his thumb caressing her chin. He paused briefly, then pushed his full length into her. He groaned slightly, and Belle gasped at the sharp pain. Ru leaned forward, whispering something Belle couldn't quite make out. Suddenly, the pain was gone, leaving only a delicious fullness behind.

"Ru...did you...?

"Yes." His voiced was strained.

Belle tensed her body, becoming accustomed to the feel of Ru inside her. He held himself very still, eyes clenched shut. Experimentally, Belle shifted her hips forward and gasped as the movement sent a jolt of pleasure through her. Ru groaned again, more loudly. One of his hands wound in her hair, pulling slightly. Slowly, he pulled himself out of Belle, and looked at her questioningly. She inhaled, and nodded, holding her breath as he thrust back in. Digging her nails into his back, she buried her face against his neck, muffling her moans.

His pace increased, and Belle wrapped her legs around his waist as he reached down with his hand, digging his nails into the skin of her thigh. He used his grip to lift her hips, taking advantage of the angle to push even deeper inside her. This time Belle gave a loud shout, wrapping both arms completely around Ru's neck and shoulders. Now it was his face buried against her neck.

"Belle..." He gasped against her throat as he thrust into her. Belle closed her eyes, letting the heat building inside begin to overwhelm her. As Ru moved, she felt reality begin to slip away. He felt hot against her and she almost couldn't feel the floor against her back.

"Ru... I love you." she cried out. Belle heard him draw in a breath sharply through his teeth, driving into her at a mad, possessive pace - branding her body with his. The heat building inside her suddenly seem to spill over. She threw her head back as her body clenched around his, and he gave a feral shout.

He pumped his hips a few more times before collapsing onto his side, avoiding her broken arm. He wrapped his arms around Belle and pulled her tightly against himself, breath heavy against her ear as he stroked her back.

She curled her arm and leg around him and closed her eyes. If this was a dream, she hoped never to wake.


	10. Chapter 10

Slowly, Belle drifted back to consciousness, aware of arms wrapped around her; cocooning her in warmth. Eyes fluttering open, she looked up at the man who's embrace she was in. His eyes were closed, and his breathing even. Then, as if sensing her change in state, he inhaled deeply, his own eyes opening.

Deep brown orbs stared down into hers. Neither of them spoke. Ru's thumb brushed lightly over her cheek, and she reached her hand to his, her fingertips running over his chin. She wasn't sure how long she spent just studying his face. Five minutes? Fifty? Words were unnecessary.

Finally the physicality of their position intruded on them. Belle was suddenly aware that they were half naked on the cold hardwood floor, and that her leg was asleep. She shifted, breaking the spell, and sat up. Ru leaned back, folding his arms back behind his head as he studied her.

Her fingers drifted idly over his stomach, and she leaned forward to kiss him lightly on the lips. She still wasn't quite sure how to begin conversation, so decided to stick with the practicalities.

"I'm going to take a shower."

He nodded and she stood, staring down at him for a moment before she walked toward the door. She looked back at him with a slight smile before going up the stairs.

A shower. Ah yes. The type of thing people always did after indulging in the kind of activities she just had. It felt significant.

She was using Ru's bathroom, he one she considered hers only having a claw foot bathtub. She turned the water on, allowing it to warm as she removed her dress. But not her underwear... right... those were still downstairs. She blushed to think of having forgotten to pick them up.

Belle studied her reflection in the mirror. She didn't look any different, but she felt very much so. Turning away, she stepped into the stream of water.

Taking a shower with a fractured arm turned out to be a bit more troublesome than she'd planned for. Flipping the shampoo open with a single hand, she poured it directly onto her head, instead of lathering it between her palms first as she'd normally do. Slowly she worked it into her scalp with one hand, the bubbles beginning to drip down her shoulders.

Without warning, the shower curtain opened, and Belle screamed.

"Christ, Ru!" He stood there naked, staring at her intently. Belle blushed furiously, glad for the warm water and the steam to hide it. "Haven't you ever seen 'Psycho'? You can't just sneak up on a girl like that." She glanced away, her gaze on the shower wall.

"Sorry," he murmured, stepping inside and pulling the curtain closed behind him. Belle's breath quickened as Ru's face drew close to hers. "Let me help you."

He pulled her hand away from her hair, rubbing her fingers soothingly as the water washed the soap away. Placing one hand lightly on her hip he turned her so she was facing away from him, and she felt his hands reaching up into her hair, massaging gently. She sighed, letting his capable hands lather the soap and press against her scalp. It felt amazing, and she whimpered, hearing him groan softly in response. He guided her into the fall of water, wrapping an arm around her and spooning against her for a few moments as he let the water wash the soap from her hair.

He pressed a few light kisses to her shoulder before repeating the process with the conditioner. When that was finished he began washing his own hair. Belle turned and watched as his own hands worked the soap through, wishing they were hers.

Ru then reached for the washcloth and soap. Belle's eyes widened as she realized his intention, and he responded with a wicked grin. After working the soap into the washcloth, Ru slowly ran the cloth over her abdomen, and around the side to her back, moving in a circular motion. He moved upward to her shoulders, her arms. He was breathing heavily, but seemed in no hurry. She squeezed his shoulder and pulled slightly, wanting him to move faster or do...  _something_. He nipped her neck in admonishment and she whimpered. His hand then shifted down, pressed the cloth between her legs, and slowly moved it back and forth. She moaned slightly, and wrapped her arm around his, biting into his shoulder.

"God, Belle," he groaned, dropping the cloth. Pushing her back against the ceramic of the shower wall, he moved both hands to her arms. His gaze was piercing, and she couldn't look away.

"Belle." His voice had lowered to a purr, and this time it was filled with significance. With Command.

"I want you to come for me, Belle."

Her body, which was just beginning to throb with need, was suddenly on fire. She cried out, the wave of pleasure completely taking her off guard. Her arms were still pressed to her sides, held trapped by his own, as her body writhed against the wall and his eyes drank it all in.

"Again."

This time her legs kicked slightly but he still wouldn't let her go as she bucked against the restraint.

"Ru..."

"Again, lover."

Belle cried out, the orgasm pouring through her like lava. Ru growled as he lifted one of her legs to rest around his hip, and finally buried himself inside her.

"Ru... yes!" She clenched her eyes shut, feeling him pound into her and the water pour over her against the shower wall.

Several minutes later, shaking in his arms, Belled opened her eyes to look at the man she loved. His eyes were closed, his brow resting against her cheek. He looked sated and more at peace than she could remember him being for a long time. She turned to kiss his temple and he looked up, smiling.

In that moment there was no curse, no evil, just the two of them in their small ceramic world.

* * *

"It's strange, you know, in this world you're cursed... yet you're not cursed. It's like you traded one for the other." Belle was reclining on the bed, Ru next to her as she ran her hand up and down his arm, which was decidedly free of the scaly appearance it had had in their home world.

"It might not be as apparent, but I can still feel The Dark One... in here." He reached for her hand and pressed it against his chest.

"But you don't make deals. Your magic is more... mundane," she finished. He growled softly, smiling.

"Mundane, is it?" She could hear the beginning of inflection in his voice and the affect it had on her body. She swatted at him playfully.

"You know what I mean."

"Yes. Even though I can feel the curse inside me, its pull is... less."

"Which is worse? Being trapped here in Storybrooke, or going back and taking on your role as The Dark One again?" She looked at him questioningly.

He studied her for a moment. "Being the Dark One pulls on my soul like a current. As though I'm constantly treading water. And being here has been torturous," he kissed her fingers. "And wonderful. But it doesn't matter. We can't stay here."

"We could for awhile, though... right? We would have, if we hadn't found the mirror." She looked at him pleadingly.

He smiled. "Yes. Maybe we could."

* * *

Belle found herself lingering over lunch, letting the sunlight through the window wash over her. Since they'd finished creating the spell, Ru did not confine himself to his study, and she'd been able to convince him to spend a day just relaxing with her. It was wonderful, like a honeymoon almost; the secret glances, the stray touch of a hand, the sudden lovemaking on the kitchen table.

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, letting the warmth suffuse her limbs. Ru had stepped outside, claiming he had to fetch something from the garden for her. Something that was a surprise. She arched her brow, reminding him lightly of his promise to do no work today. He'd laughingly replied that she was far too suspicious for her own good, and should just wait for him like a good girl. She'd thrown something at his head, but still here she was, waiting for him to return.

She heard a knock at the front door. It must be Ru with her "surprise". Perhaps unable to navigate opening the door and carrying... whatever it might be at the same time.

Smiling, Belle stood and made her way to the front of the house. She reached out, pulling the door open, to see standing there...

Regina. With a gun in her hand. Pointed at Belle's heart.

Surprise.


	11. Chapter 11

"Regina!" Belle held very still, shocked. She probably should move, but couldn't. "What...what are you doing?"

"I don't know." There were tears in the other woman's eyes, and she was trembling. The gun shook in her grasp.

"I'm...s-so sorry, Anna, b-but I'm going t-to have to insist you... you let me in."

Belle's mind raced. Ru was somewhere out back. If she screamed, would he hear? Would Regina just shoot her? Belle recalled the bureau in the hallway right behind her. Ru kept a gun in the drawer of it. If she could reach it, she might be able to get Regina to drop hers. She didn't want to think of the alternative.

"Regina," she said, her own voice breathy and unsteady. "Why are you here?" She backed up slowly.

"I told you I don't know!" She half cried, half snarled. "I just felt like... I had to come here. Something bad is happening. You and that... pawnbroker are doing something that I have to stop!" She took a step forward.

"We aren't doing anything." Belle's back was to the bureau, her hand felt for the handle of the drawer. Regina seemed too upset to notice.

"Lies! Everything is a lie...everything. Why am I with Sydney? I don't love Sydney." She seemed to be talking to herself. She closed her eyes briefly, as if flinching from a sudden headache, and Belle took the opportunity to tug the drawer open and pull the gun out. She took a few steps further down the hallway, and pointed the gun at the other woman.

"You'll shoot me? You won't shoot me." She sneered. Her former personality seemed to temporarily reassert itself.

Belle's hand was shaking. She didn't use guns. Ru kept it loaded, but Belle wasn't confident at all with her aim. If she shot she could miss, or kill Regina. She couldn't kill Regina. It could break the curse in a very wrong way.

"Drop the gun." Belle said, hoping the other woman would comply.

Regina's eyes flickered to something behind Belle. She heard the offset footsteps so familiar to her.

"Shoot her." Ru's velvety voice spread through Belle.

And she did.

* * *

The bullet skimmed one of Regina's fingers, as Belle's shot took the gun out of her hand with military precision. Ru then stepped forward, using his cane to pull one of the delirious woman's legs out from under her. Belle flinched as he rapped her sharply across the head, effectively knocking her unconscious.

Shaking, Belle stumbled forward, trying to place the gun back onto the table. Ru intercepted her, holding her steady. He placed one hand against her face, looking into her eyes.

"Shhh. It's ok." He stroked one hand over her hair. His tone was comforting, but Belle could see the fury in his eyes. She looked away, towards the woman now laying prone in the hallway.

"Why is she here?" Her voice trembled, and she swallowed in an attempt to steady it.

He turned, keeping an arm around Belle. "It seems that something has triggered a further awakening in her. Most likely our destruction of her mirror... and completion of the counter curse." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I should have anticipated this."

Belle shook her head, her hair rubbing against his suit jacket. He looked down at her but she couldn't think of what else to say, so she asked, "What do we do now?"

Ru stepped away from her, and leaned over Regina. "We'll tie her up. Put her in the basement. Then, we cast the spell." He looked back at Belle, and his eyes were full of regret.

"I'm afraid we can't stay here after all."

* * *

Between the two of them, they managed to move Regina into the basement, only banging her head once against a door frame. Placing her upright in a chair, Ru made quick work of wrapping rope around her body and limbs. He was disturbingly efficient at it.

"If she wakes up, she'll scream." Belle pointed out

"No one will hear her down here." He replied. Comforting.

As Ru restrained Regina, Belle had nothing to do but stand and study her, lost in thought. Recovering from her initial shock, Belle thought about the state Regina had been in. Confused, afraid... Belle found herself feeling sympathy for the woman in the chair.

"It's sad. Without her memories, she was happy. It's a shame that she couldn't just stay that way."

Ru looked intently at her, something unreadable in his expression. "We are the sum of our choices, my dear. She'll always be the same person, memories or not."

He took her good hand, leading her up the stairs, and locked the door behind them.

"How long can we leave her down there?" Belle glanced uncertainly at the locked door.

"It doesn't matter. The curse will fall apart soon. We have to cast the spell now." Hand still clasping hers, he walked back toward the study. He left her in the doorway as he went to his desk, withdrawing the box containing the scroll he had made. He extracted the scroll and tucked it in his pocket rather unceremoniously.

"We'll go into the forest to finish this. It's where I've been finding everything. There must be more magic there."

They left out the back door, retracing the path Ru had first lead her down when taking her to see her roses.

The sky was clear. The air was crisp and cool in her lungs as she inhaled. It didn't feel like a world that was about to fall apart, but Ru had more of a sense of these things. And the evidence of Regina's unraveling was irrefutable.

They did, in fact, come to the exact clearing where the rose bush grew. Except now there were no roses. Not living ones. They'd only used one bloom in the ceremony, but the sacrifice of it reached out even to here, it seemed.

Ru went to the edge of the clearing and began to collect broken branches that lay along the ground. Belle followed suit, and together they quickly gathered enough wood to make a small fire. Her stomach suddenly clenched. Things had moved so quickly that she hadn't even stopped to consider what they were doing. She walked over to the center of the clearing where Ru stood. She dropped her bundle of kindling with the rest, and he began to arrange some of the pieces in a circle.

"Ru... are we sure we know what we're doing?"

"I have some experience in these matters. You can trust me."

"It's just that..." she paused, taking a breath. "When the first spell was cast, it required a sacrifice to take effect. We don't have one now. What if it doesn't work?"

He stopped what he was doing, and looked at her, his eyes blank. "Belle," he said carefully. "Go stand over there." He nodded to a place a few feet back from where she was. Confused, she was about to question him, but it wasn't a request - it was a Command - and her body obeyed it implicitly. She met his gaze with incredulity.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Ru looked away, and didn't reply for a few moments, picking up branches and kindling and arranging them in a tipi shape, leaning them against one another.

"Rumplestiltskin!" He looked up at that.

"It will work. We do have a sacrifice." He stacked one more branch against the others, his manner slow and deliberate. "Me."

"WHAT?" Belle moved towards him.

"Stay there." His voice held her in place.

"What do you mean you?"

"I'm going to be the sacrifice." He sounded exceedingly calm, but the tone of his voice was flat.

"You can't. I'll do it. I did it before and I didn't die."

"No." He began shoving dry leaves into the cracks between the branches.

"Why?" She felt hot tears running down her cheek.

"It's the only way the spell will work."

She began to cry in earnest. "You said I would belong to you forever. How is that supposed to work if you do this?"

He ceased what he was doing and limped towards her. He stopped about a foot away and leaned on the cane, which he placed directly in front of himself.

"Do you know why I fought so hard against using the control I had over you? Against being with you?"

Mutely, she shook her head.

He swallowed. "Because I knew that once I did... it would make it that much harder to walk away. To give you up." He squeezed his eyes shut, running a hand over them. "And I was right."

"Then don't..." she whispered. "Don't. Let's take our chances with letting the curse just end. Please don't do this. I love you."

"And I love you!" He gaze was fierce. "If I didn't, this wouldn't have power."

Tears continued to flow down her face, and Ru stepped forward, kissing them away. "Don't cry, dearie. You'll be safe again. You'll be home."

"You are my home."

Ru stared hard at her, then pulled her tightly into his embrace and claimed her lips in a fervent kiss. He moved back, and Belle clutched at him with her good arm.

"Please." She pleaded, knowing he wouldn't listen. That she wouldn't change his mind.

His eyes met hers, and he stopped moving away. Belle leaned forward as far as she could without allowing her feet to betray his command to stay. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his hand reach out to gently cup her face. She inhaled sharply, daring to hope. Maybe he would decide to remain here. For her.

"I'm sorry, Belle."  _Cut._

Staring in disbelief as his hand withdrew, Belle recognized the knife he held from the ceremony. He also held a lock of her hair. A lock of his servant's hair, and she knew there was no going back for him.

He tugged the edge of his jacket gently out of her grasp and walked back to the fire. Pulling a matchbook out of his pocket, he leaned over and struck one. As he tossed it into the fire, it promptly burst into flames, as if eager to fulfill its purpose. Belle instantly hated it.

Ru placed the lock of hair he took from her into the fire, then reached into his pocket for the scroll. Belle screamed, swinging her arms, trying to move to no avail.

He smoothed out the paper, and chanted the words on it before leaning over and placing it directly into the flames. They exploded in shadow and wind - the fingers of it reaching out over the clearing.

Ru turned to her, and smiled. He stepped into the smoky darkness, and as he did he mouthed words to her, which she couldn't hear nor could she make out on his lips.

The shadows instantly spread, and Belle flinched as they came rushing towards her.

Then there was nothing but darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

Belle woke up. She was lying in her bed at her father's castle, and she felt very strange. It wasn't the type of feeling one has as if waking from a dream, or having a restless night of sleep. It was almost as if she hadn't actually been asleep at all, but that the world wanted her to think she had been. She felt as if the moment she woke was the moment time itself had started.

She sat straight up in bed, ripping the blankets away and propelling herself out of the cocoon of warmth. Her feet hit the cold floor and she raced towards the door, flinging it open, to run down the stone corridor. Instinct led her to her father's war room. She passed several concerned looking servants on her way, but didn't stop to acknowledge them.

Finally making it to her destination, Belle tore the door open. What she was expecting to find, she couldn't say, but in any case there was nothing there. The room wasn't empty, of course. There were strategic maps on the wall, a throne at one end, candlesticks sitting on the large empty table in the center and the like. It was empty of anything indicating the conditions under which she left it last. Recalling her trek here, the castle itself was in rather pristine shape - not that she thought they wouldn't have repaired it given all the time she had been away.

She wasn't looking for evidence that that the last thirty years had really happened. Instinct had led her to the room in this castle where Belle had first made a connection with the devil of this world. If he had crossed the barrier of time and space with her, and yet wasn't with her upon waking, surely he would be here.

"Rumplestiltskin?"

Of course, there was no answer.

Slowly, Belle turned away, shutting the door behind her. One of the serving girls she'd passed in the hall walked swiftly up behind her.

"My lady, are you alright?"

Belle met her concerned expression, not quite sure how to answer. How could she possibly be alright? How could this girl even think of asking such a question considering what had just happened? Belle lowered her head, squeezing her eyes shut.

_Maybe nobody remembers._

"I'm fine, Claudia. I just... had a bad dream." The girl nodded.

"Let us get you back to your room, before you catch your death. I'll help you get ready for the day." She tugged on her arm, and Belle allowed herself to be led back down the connecting passages to where she'd run from.

Belle stood like a doll, allowing Claudia to pull her nightshift off, then redress her in a fine blue satin gown, the like of which Belle had not worn since the day she'd left this place with Rumplestiltskin. The feel of it against her skin was a tactile reminder of the fact she had been put back here. Away from him.

_Why?_

"Gaston has come to call and he and your father are taking breakfast downstairs. They'll expect you to join them. There is much to discuss." Belle sensed an undertone of excitement in the girls words as she clasped a sapphire bracelet around Belle's wrist. The wrist on her unbroken arm. Belle raised her limb, staring at it in wonder for a moment. Had Ru done this? He said he couldn't heal her physical body. Perhaps a side effect of the spell that brought them back?

Claudia stood back, admiring her work. "You look beautiful, my lady. Gaston will be impressed."

"Gaston?" Belle pulled her gaze away from her arm to look in confusion at the young girl.

"Why yes, my lady. He's here to discuss the plans for your wedding. Did you not hear me saying he was here?"

"Wedding?"

The girl clucked her tongue. "That must have been quite the dream you had, my lady. Don't worry - after breakfast you will feel much better."

Belle once again allowed Claudia to lead her through the passages, this time to the main dining hall. Her head was racing. What had happened? Since she was back, did he assume that things would simply go on as planned? Even if nobody remembered Storybrooke, in their mind she'd spent months in the private household of another man - a demon. Were there to be no questions as to whether or not she was suited for marriage?

Belle shook her head. Perhaps Claudia was simply mistaking the nature of Gaston's visit. Why couldn't Belle remember being reunited with her father? Surely there would have been many questions about her absence. How did she not remember? Waking up this way, it was as if she'd never left at all.

Had never left...

Belle felt a growing apprehension in her gut. There were house soldiers standing on their side of the dining hall, part of her father's constant escort. They opened the doors to allow her in. At the sight of her, both Gaston and her father stood. Gaston walked over to her, taking one of her hands in his and bowing as he pressed his lips against it.

"There is my lovely bride to be. You look radiant."

Belle was certain it false flattery, or perhaps it was the dress, because she felt anything but radiant. She felt sick.

"I need to sit down."

Gaston straightened, putting a hand at the small of her back to guide her to the table. "Of course. Breakfast is prepared. You should dine with us and join in the discussion of our coming nuptials."

Her father took his seat again and resumed eating. "The planning of this and all... well, mostly it's women's work. There will be special servants hired to take care of all the details, but Gaston and I were just discussing which estate it should be held at - whoever hosts it will have a lot of guests to put up with." Her father shoved a fork of food into his mouth, looking perturbed at the prospect of putting up with guests.

Belle pulled away from Gaston. "And is there to be no discussion of where I've been for the past several months? No concerns over the fact that I've been living with a beast? And here we are talking about using our precious funds to throw a party instead of rebuilding the village. Are the ogre wars so soon forgotten?" By the end of her questioning, Belle found that she was shouting.

Both men blinked at her, stunned. Gaston drew his sword partway from its sheath.

"Has a beast been threatening you, my lady? If so, I will vanquish..."

Her father burst out laughing. "Oh, Gaston. It's just another one of her stories. Beasts and ogres. You must have had some adventurous dreams last night."

Gaston blinked owlishly, before hesitantly re-sheathing his blade. He sat down glumly, looking confused.

Belle clenched her fist. Did they really not remember? Had it somehow never happened? She had to know.

"Father. The ogre attacks have been getting worse. And you called Rumplestiltskin to help fight them. Or you will. You have to. And I went - or will go with him - as his price for saving our village. Do you not remember?"

Her father looked at her, brow furrowed.

"Who is Rumplestiltskin?"

Belle looked at him, shock on her face. Everyone knew who Rumplestiltskin was. The world knew.

"Is another man vying for your hand, my lady?" Gaston stood. "If so, I will vanquish..."

"Please, Gaston." Belle raised her hand to indicate he should stop speaking. "The demon, father - Rumplestiltskin - you know who I'm talking about of course, don't you?"

"I'm afraid I don't, daughter." He shrugged "Though I've never been as well read as you. I know we've talked about it, but military strategy and governing laws... well, they take up a king's time. I've none for the fantastic stories you prefer."

Belle felt an involuntary whimper leave her mouth. Her father looked at her in concern. "Are you alright, Belle?" He began to stand.

"I... have to go." She made her way for the door, and turned down the hallway. She could hear Gaston's voice carry from the room behind her.

"I'm sure it's just wedding nerves..."

* * *

Belle sat on the edge of her bed, sobs wracking her body and tears pouring down her cheeks. She sniffed, wiping her nose and eyes on the sleeve of the fine satin gown. She stared at the floor as the knowledge of the fact that Rumplestiltskin was completely gone began to take root in her mind.

And not just gone, it seemed.  _Gone_ gone. Gone from myth. Gone from memory. But not her memory. It was insufficient comfort.

No - it was not a comfort at all. Why did the spell leave only her with these memories and seemingly no one else? To suffer? Or because Ru had touched her with his magic? Perhaps because he'd returned her memory to her in Storybrooke, so she still retained the knowledge of it.

Asking why seemed pointless at the moment, however. Belle buried her face in her hands. Ru was gone. Taken away in the most complete way possible. Did he create the spell to do this? Maybe he thought she wouldn't remember either, and that it would make it easier.

_Wrong wrong wrong, Ru. Stupid, Ru. And you call yourself a magician._

Belle sank back on the bed, clutching her arm to her chest. The unbroken arm.

_Even that sign of our time together has been taken away._

Belle wondered if the other sign her body had been claimed by Ru had also been erased. Muffling her cries into her pillow, Belle wept bitterly until sleep claimed her.

* * *

_She was standing at the edge of the clearing with the dead rosebush, a bonfire cheerfully crackling in the center. The imp known, or rather not known, as Rumplestiltskin stood by the fire, looking forlornly down into it._

_Belle tried to scream his name, but found that she couldn't. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the familiar scroll that Belle knew contained the spell. She was living again the moment Ru was taken from her. Left her. And just as then, her struggles and cries did not divert his attention from the task at hand._

_He dropped the paper into the fire, which began to bleed with inky blackness. He looked up, smiling at her. He stepped into the flame, and this time she could hear the words he spoke._

_"Find me, Belle."_

* * *

When Belle opened her eyes this time, it was dark outside. A small candle had been left burning on the mantle above her fireplace, casting a slight illumination over the room and a tray of food. Someone had been here while she was sleeping. Probably Claudia.

_Have I really slept all day?_

The castle was quiet. Even more quiet than usual for this hour, it seemed. Straining her ears, Belle could hear no sounds of patrol outside. No bustle of servants or guards in the hall. She crossed the floor to the door, noting that she was still wearing the blue gown in which she'd fallen asleep. She opened the door and peeked outside. The torches in the hall were lit, but Belle could see no sign of human life. She closed it again, retreating into her room.

She furrowed her brow, thinking back on the dream. Not so odd, that the first time she fell asleep she should dream about that moment, considering what she was crying about. But she hadn't heard Ru's voice when he'd stepped into the fire.

Or had she? Maybe her subconscious had caught the words, and was only now relaying them to her. Maybe it was just a dream.

_Or maybe it was a sign._

Belle walked over to the door that hid the adjacent room to her bedchamber, which contained many of her clothes. She opened it and began searching the racks for a more serviceable uniform. After several minutes, Belle hissed in frustration. All of these clothes were for a princess. Finally settling on one of her more subdued set of riding clothes - a set of pants and shirt her father had made for her when she'd complained that even riding in a split gown was impossible for a real horsewoman. She'd still have to trade it away. The pants were a lovely soft velvet, and the shirt was delicately embroidered. Such clothes would betray her status if she was trying to keep a low profile.

Belle dressed, and donned a leather back satchel, putting a few extra fine pieces of clothing and some of her jewelry in it. Things that could be easily sold or traded.

Opening her writing desk, Belle withdrew a paper and quill. She bit down thoughtfully on the edge of the feather. What could she tell her father? Probably nothing he would understand. She wasn't sure that she understood it herself.

_Father,_

_I'm sorry to have to tell you this in a note, but I'm leaving. I know you'll think this sounds like just another one of my stories, but we are all just waking up from a thirty year spell where we lived in a different world, frozen in time. The spell was cast by an evil queen, and broken by a man I have fallen in love with. No one seems to remember that any of this happened, but I do. And this man... I have to find him. I cannot marry Gaston. Please tell him I am sincerely sorry, and wish him no ill. I love you, father, but this is something I must do. Please don't look for me._

_-Belle_

Partly, Belle hoped that telling him the truth in her note would somehow spark his memory. Partly, she just couldn't leave under the pretense of a lie, knowing these might be the last words she ever shared with him. Her heart clenched at the thought of leaving him so abruptly. So unlike the slow, lingering disappearance of her mother - the way illness claimed her. She knew he would take it hard, but couldn't see another way. She couldn't risk being stopped.

Maybe it was a dream, but if Rumplestiltskin was out there, she had to find him.

Due to the unnatural stillness of the castle, Belle felt she hardly had to sneak at all. She didn't run into a single person on her way to the kitchens to get more supplies for her journey. Nor when she slipped the letter to her father under his chamber door, nor when she went to the stables to saddle her horse. All very strange. She took it as another sign she was doing what she was meant to do.

She patted the horse on the neck, soothing it. He too would have to be traded away. Nothing linking her to this place could remain on her person. Belle told her father not to look for her, but as with such things, she had no faith that he would listen.

She nudged the horse to a trot down the path leading into the forest, and didn't look back.

* * *

Belle stayed off the path and made her camp in the woods for the first several days. She couldn't stop in a nearby village. They would certainly recognize her. She had to get further away. Fortunately, she was an excellent horsewoman, and she had an excellent horse. They made good time following the river, and eventually Belle found herself in surroundings she didn't recognize. The trees were different, the air was more crisp. It was safer now to get back to the road, but she still wanted to take the least risk as possible.

It was easy to downplay the quality of her clothing. She'd been traveling off the road for days and already had a fair amount of dirt worked into the garments. It was not as easy to part with her hair. Long and curling, it was quite literally a part of her - but the less recognizable she was the better. With hair short and her slight frame, she might even be able to pass as a boy.

She was fortunate to wander into a smaller village situated right along the riverbank. They were more than eager to trade a few pairs of their more functional wool clothes for her fine velvet ones. This was no place to buy a new horse, but she was able to get new tack for her own. Some without a royal emblem emblazoned on the side.

She didn't stay the night in that village, but she did in others she came across. Hesitant, since the more she socialized the easier it would be to recall her face if soldiers came questioning. However, seeking information was the entire reason she had run away. Listening for any word about an imp that made deals best not made. At first she simply asked for any local legends, claiming to be a story collector of a sort. When that yielded interesting, but ultimately useless results, she asked more specific questions.

_If I wanted a wish granted, who could do such a thing?  
_ _I hear there are demons that answer summons, have you heard anything like that?  
_ _What stories do you tell to frighten children at night?_

And the answers were always the same.

_Fairies, of course.  
_ _I've not heard of that sort of dark magic, best not mention demons - tis bad luck, ye ken?  
_ _Well, have ye heard the one about the wolf that comes when the moon is full?_

Belle hesitated to ask about "Rumplestiltskin" specifically. Stories had a way of proliferating themselves, and if she did hear a rumor mentioning  _that name_ , she didn't want to wonder if it had originated from her own lips.

Searching villages proved to be fruitless, and so Belle traveled to larger and larger cities. She even managed to gain access to the information networks of several palaces - through servant tongues which she helped to loosen using her fine diplomatic skills, and jewelry.

Venturing close to the royal set was risky. She heard several rumors about the missing princess from the a far off land, but of course nobody looked at her twice or even suspected she could be her. In one city, Belle had even caught sight of Snow White as she was passing through the streets during a procession. It was a shock to see someone she knew from Storybrooke here in such a position. She had panicked briefly, suddenly afraid of being spotted. Her brain caught up with her, though, and she realized that even if she jumped out in front of the princess singing and dancing, Snow White would have no memory of her.

Still, even the large cities proved to have no information, no memory of the Dark One.

Belle had been on the road for many months. Was it a year? Possibly. The leaves had changed color, and there had been a winter, and a spring. And now it was starting to rain again every day. The roads were harder to travel, but Belle found she'd been conscious of staying hidden for so long that she found the curtain of rain a comfortable traveling companion. It was far less likely to meet other persons on the road, which Belle also found to her liking.

One particular afternoon, the rains came even worse than usual. During these times, even Belle didn't like to to be out in them. These were the type of rains that stung your face and caused your horse to trip in a water filled divot and sprain an ankle. No sane person would travel during a time such as this, which was why she was surprised to see a hooded figure slowly take form as her horse moved forward.

The person on the road was walking away from her, going in the same direction as she was. They were slowed, however. The rain was substantial, but the figure also had a noticeable limp, and was supporting themselves with a large staff as they walked. Belle sucked in her breath, feeling a pang in her heart as she thought of another person with such a limp.

Usually, Belle tried to avoid talking to people on the road. Much better to be in a tavern and listen and find out where they were going - more importantly where they were from - before she spoke. However, she couldn't leave a person in the middle of the road in such pathetic shape - in such torrential weather. It was an ethical question, and had nothing to do with the fact they reminded her of a certain someone, she told herself.

Belle nudged her mount into a trot, but as she drew closer the figure ahead of her suddenly collapsed. Crying out, Belle dismounted and ran the few yards separating her from the body now half kneeling, holding themselves up by the staff. She put her arm around them, and they thrashed, startled by the appearance of another so near by.

"Are you alright?" The figure nodded. Belle couldn't tell if it was a man or woman, the face hidden by the deep cowl of the cloak.

"I have a horse you can ride. The next village is far away, but I can stop and set up a shelter." Another hesitant nod. Belle wrapped her arm around the crippled traveler, and painstakingly helped them onto her horse.

She started to lead the horse down the road again, looking for a suitable place to set up a shelter. Fortunately they didn't have to go far before she spied a small copse of trees nearby that would be acceptable to make camp in. Belle withdrew from the packs saddled on her horse a large cow hide that usually served as her tent. It was more difficult in the heavy rain, but she still managed to tie a rope between two trees somewhat quickly and drape the hide over it, creating a small rain proof space beneath.

Usually Belle would bring her steed into the shelter as well on nights like this, but right now that wasn't a possibility. Belle removed the burden of the saddlebags, then proceeded to help lift the disabled rider from her mount. She would let the horse find its own shelter in the woods tonight. It was well trained and would return when she called.

"Here, sit down." They were under the covering now. The ground was wet, and Belle laid down her own cloak down for her new acquaintance. Leaning heavily on the staff, which barely grazed the top of the makeshift cover, her companion sat obediently; head bowed in fatigue.

Belle turned away to look through the sack she had brought in from her horse. She knew she had some trail rations left; some jerky, maybe even a bit of fruit. It was far too wet to make a fire, but this would do just fine. Finding the items she sought, she turned back to her rescue to offer some of what she had. Now out of the heavy rain, they had finally drawn their cloak back. Belle froze, hand half extended towards the man in front of her, dried meat dangling from her fingertips; forgotten.

_No, it couldn't be..._

The person in front of her was more gaunt, more haggard than she remembered him. The clothes he wore were of the humblest sort; woolen and threadbare. They weren't much worse than her own, but they seemed so much more shocking on him. He whom she had only ever seen in silk suits and dragon skin.

Rumplestiltskin.

And he was looking at her as though he'd never seen her before.

"Thank you." His voice still had the same rough brogue she'd become so well acquainted with. Gratitude and exhaustion showed through on his features; but not recognition. Belle bit down on her lip, to keep a cry from escaping. She couldn't stop the slight tears that leaked out of the corners of her eyes, but she was so thoroughly soaked that she doubted he would notice.

"You... you're welcome," she choked out. Belle couldn't tear her eyes away from his face, taking in every change in his facade, and becoming reacquainted with the things that had not. He seemed older than she remembered, but likely that was simply due to his current condition.

"Is everything alright?" He seemed taken aback by her sudden inspection of him, and Belle shook her head, finally looking away. She pressed the jerky into his palm, and his hand hesitantly closed around it. Belle couldn't help but allow her thumb to brush over his fingers as she drew back. His grip tightened on the rations on his hand.

"It's strange to find a lone traveler walking on the road in this weather." She backed away from him slightly, folding her legs up in front of her and resting her chin on her knees. She didn't trust herself to say anything else.

"No stranger than seeing a woman traveling alone." He took a bite of the rations.

She hesitated. "Most people take me for a boy." He cast a scrutinizing glance over her features, and maybe she imagined, her figure - even though it was mostly hidden by her legs.

"Fools." Belle remained silent, waiting for him to continue. "I was robbed on the way back to my village. They took my horse, my supplies..." He paused, taking another bite of food. "I didn't think anyone would come by."

She continued to stare at him intently, unable to help herself. Things had changed in this world, for him. Was this the price he paid for breaking the curse? Losing his power? His memories? Maybe he wasn't even...

"What is your name?"

He hesitated, looking embarrassed. "It's Rumplestiltskin. A bad name, I know..."

"I think it's the most beautiful name I've ever heard." Belle replied fervently. His startled gaze flew to her face, and his eyes suddenly sparked with interest.

"Why were you on the road?"

"I was looking for someone." Belle pressed her lips together in a thin line, not looking away from the man across from her.

"Did you find them?" His expression was intent.

"Yes."

He waited, looking at her, waiting for her to elaborate. What could she say? Instead of addressing the unasked question, Belle opted to change the subject.

"I can take you back to your village."

His eyes widened. "That would be..." he stopped suddenly "No. You don't have to do that." He shifted away, perhaps suddenly self-conscious of the imposition he seemed to be placing on her.

"No, please - I want to." She lunged forward to grab his arm as he moved back. Her face stopped a few inches away from his own. He froze in shock for a moment as their eyes met. Belle could no longer help herself. She closed the space between them, pressing her lips against his. They were as warm and soft as she remembered, and the words from one of the tales she knew flashed through her mind.

_True Love's Kiss can break any curse._

Rumplestiltskin didn't move to embrace her, nor did he pull away. After a few moments, Belle leaned back and studied his face - looking for some sign that he remembered her.

She found none.

His eyes were wide, staring at her with a mixture of embarrassment and fascination. Belle's face fell, and she moved away from him. Disappointment and regret filled her, and she turned away in an attempt to hide them.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"No, no... it's alright." She felt a hand on her knee, and reluctantly she turned to face it's owner.

"You don't have to apologize." Deep brown eyes met hers, and in them Belle could see concern, understanding, and something else. Desire? Yes - but it was deeper than that.

And Belle knew, memories or not, this was Rumplestiltskin - this was the man she loved, and who loved her. Would love her again.

Slowly, Belle resumed her position facing him. His hand remained on her knee. Shy suddenly, she grasped at the first question she could think of to fill the growing silence.

"Do you have any family in your village?" Belle mentally kicked herself. What a suspicious sounding thing to ask after having just impulsively kissed him. She felt she knew what the answer might be, though.

A shadow passed briefly over his features, then cleared. "I had a wife and son, once. They were taken by illness. Long ago."

"I'm... very sorry. How long?"

He frowned. "I can't remember, exactly. The years have just run together since then."

"And there is no one else?"

His eyes met hers. "No."

And Belle felt almost as though she was seeing him for the first time. Before, he always seemed to be running from something. From himself, from his past, from her. Miraculously, his countenance seemed empty of that now. As though the Rumplestiltskin she knew had finally faced his own demon.

True Love's Kiss... it was just a story. But if it weren't, and it did have the power to break a curse, maybe it wasn't working just now because this wasn't a curse. For Rumplestiltskin, perhaps being without his memories was a blessing.

"You know, I've been on the road for a very long time. I'm growing weary of travel. If I stayed in your village for a while, do you think I would be welcome?" She moved her hand so her fingertips barely brushed his resting on her knee.

"Yes, I do believe you would." He smiled, and their eyes met, and Belle knew he had told her the truth about where she would be when coming back to this world.

She was home.

\- THE END -


	13. Bloopers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of my favorite parts about writing this was getting files back from my beta. She would put in snarky little commentary sometimes that had me giggling like mad. So I'd like to share some of the more relateable ones with you.
> 
> Some of these are mistakes I made that I later fixed or reworded, and some not.

_**Chapter 1:** _

Belle shook my head.  **(How Dare She!)**

"Alright, come along if you must." The carpet wiggled in excitement, flying itself in a tight loop around her before settling back at her feet. She couldn't stop a slight giggle, and suddenly the task in front of her didn't seem quite as frightening as a moment ago. **("The Brave Little Carpet" - I** **see a spin off!)**

* * *

_**Chapter 2:** _

There were a limited amount of jobs to go around, and no one ever left Storybrooke.  **(losers.)**

Another smile. "Of course not". His gaze drifted down, then back up to her face.  **(Helloooo)**

"Don't call me that." I bristled.  _(_ **You did? Calm down, what did Anna do?)**

Anna gaped up at him. Did he just seriously say that?  **(kick him in the balls!)**

* * *

_**Chapter 3:** _

She hadn't told her dad yet about her plans to go. Or Gaston. Not that it was any of his business.  **(ha ha – yeah Suck it Gaston)**

After a few awkward moments, Mr. Gold took a step back, bowing slightly and gesturing for her to enter. "You look lovely...Anna. Please come in. He didn't look too bad himself. He always wore a suit, but this one was black with a lovely sheen. He also wore a dark green shirt that looked like it could be silk, and a gold tie. She approved. **(We Both Look Fine.)**

She'd never even seen him use a computer in all the time she'd worked with him. She was fairly sure he didn't own one, and the only way he ever would is if they suddenly began to qualify as antiques. **(in** **some room he has that giant first computer ever made)**

"Still. Let me get it... Please." He looked imploringly at him.  **(slashy – ha** **ha)**

She tilted her head slightly and regarded him, deciding how to answer. "Well, I've honestly never had much of a taste for wine, red or white. But I'm certain it's an acquired taste. And the only way to acquire that is to try." ( **Diplomatic: aka – no its fucking gross.)**

* * *

_**Chapter 4:** _

He rounded the corner quickly (as he could) ( **sounds like That fuck could round** **corners Really Quickly, not "as quickly as he could?)** , a distressed look on his face.

"Ru... tell me why I'm not dead."  
"Not today."  **(No, shut up.)**

* * *

_**Chapter 5:** _

"I could be off. In the beginning, I didn't believe I needed to bother with it."  
"I'm not even thirty!"  
"Frozen in time, love."  **(Fucking... Keep Up, kid.)**

"I wouldn't sell a curse to end all curses without putting a few safeguards in. Give me some credit." **(Cause I'm a boss.)**

* * *

_**Chapter 6:** _

It did look almost exactly like the weather reports of hurricanes she'd seen on television. Except it was too perfect, too circular. Something obviously contrived, instead of by nature.  **(Magic: It's** **Not Natural.)**

Ru led them both deep into the forest the next day. It was early morning, and there was a bite in the air as they walked down a path leading away from the road. They both wore slightly heavier jackets than usual, and Ru used his cane to knock away early morning spider webs perched across the trail.  **(Hollering "Get the Fuck out of the way,** **Asshole Spiders - Time for Magic!" the whole way. It was upsetting.)**

"I didn't mean it like that. I don't think of you as impeded."  **("I think of you as gimpy.")**

"Just look for anything out of the ordinary, that doesn't seem as though it belongs."  **(like** **drinking cups.)**

She pulled her jacket more tightly around her, and stepped into the gap between the trees. Ru entered immediately behind her. Now that they were in the grasp of the topiary,  **(isn't a topiary a trimmed bush - like my moms plants that look like bunnies** **or orbs? haha, that made me laugh really hard - Grasp of the Evil Trimmed Bushes!)**

Belle found she was correct about the day being tedious. Each day seemed like it was trying to compete with the one before it to see which could win the Monotony Award.  **(That shit is prestigious.)**

* * *

_**Chapter 7:** _

Chapter 7 wasn't very funny, I guess.

* * *

_**Chapter 8!:** _

He'd been prepared for this eventuality. Belle studied the supplies he'd laid out, then looked back up to meet his eyes. She hoped he knew how to use them, because she sure didn't. **("Do you know how to use them?" "No... don't you?" "Fuuuuck.")**

She remembered, though. If going back home was anything like coming to Storybrooke in the first place, it was going to take more than this.  **(** **SOMEONE GOTTA DIIEEE)**

* * *

_**Chapter 9:** _

Belle sucked in her breath, but pressed on. "So you're going to make me leave? Think that I'll be safer somewhere else besides with the most powerful magician in folklore?  **(ooh, bragging! somewhere Merlin is like, Um, wtf?)**

* * *

_**Chapter 10:** _

Finally the physicality of their position intruded on them  **(jerk)** **.**

Ru leaned back, folding his arms back behind his head as he studied her.  **(haha, pimpin)**

He nipped her neck in admonishment and she whimpered. His hand then shifted his hand down, **(um...his hand is bossing itself around)**

* * *

_**Chapter 11:** _

Between the two of them, they managed to move Regina into the basement, only banging her head once against a door frame. **("accidentally")**

He left her in the doorway as he went to his desk, withdrawing the box containing the scroll he had made. He withdrew  **(too much withdrawing)**  the scroll and tucked it in his pocket rather unceremoniously.  
 **(reply: He didn't have that problem earlier. Boom.)**

* * *

_**Chapter 12:** _

She passed several concerned looking servants on her way, but didn't stop to acknowledge them _ **.**_ **(Bitch got shit to do.)**

Were there to be no questions as to whether or not she was suited for marriage?  **("Um, is no one going to bring up that this girl is a whore now? No? okay. just sayin.")**

_Wrong wrong wrong, Ru. Stupid, Ru. And you call yourself a magician_ **_._  (fucking idiot!)**

Her brain caught up with her, though, and she realized that even if she jumped out in front of the princess singing and dancing, Snow White would have no memory of her.  **(so she did, because at heart she was just a crazy fuck.)**

Belle wrapped her arm around the crippled traveler, and painstakingly helped them onto her horse.  **(She didn't cop a feel to check out gender? haha - "Hey, are you a dude?")**

Belle couldn't help but allow her thumb to brush over his fingers as she drew back. His grip tightened on the rations on his hand.  **(he thinks she is going to murder him like a lunatic...)**

"Do you have any family in your village?"  **("Not that I'm going to kill them, or anything...)**


End file.
